


Banishment

by Encyclopika



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series)
Genre: Conversational storytelling, Deities, Drama, F/M, Giratina is female, Legendary Pokemon, No humans, Pokemon Creation Mythos, Romance, Verbal Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-02
Updated: 2020-01-16
Packaged: 2020-11-10 16:55:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 24,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20855141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Encyclopika/pseuds/Encyclopika
Summary: At the beginning of the universe, the endless expanse of space was shaped by 4 legendary Pokemon. In the midsts of this, a forbidden romance blossoms. Dialga x Giratina (Dethklokshipping)





	1. Birth of the Universe

**Author's Note:**

> This is a retelling of the Sinnoh Creation Myth, and more specifically, the events leading up to Giratina's banishment into the Distortion World. You're basically a human hearing Giratina's side of the story. Please be aware that I have read up on the mythos extensively and that this is my best foot forward while also taking some creative liberties, namely science. 
> 
> Please be aware that I KNOW LEGENDARY POKEMON ARE CANONICALLY GENDERLESS. But I've elected to ignore it. Giratina is female in this story.
> 
> I wrote this story back in 2014 and it remains one of my greatest achievements. Because it has been a good five years, it's been edited heavily to reflect a better understanding of the canon story. You are welcome to find it at Serebii.net, DeviantART, or Fanfiction.net under my same pen name and spoil yourself, or just wait for the weekly updates.

When we were born, there was nothing but darkness. In my dreams, I heard voices from the inky blackness, hushed and distorted as if my ears were filled with fluid. As I gained consciousness and the strength to open my eyes, I could just make out their voices and words accompanied the first thing I ever saw. Arceus, in all His grandeur, was a figure I already knew all about, and He floated in the darkness, regal and poised for greatness. No detail marked the space around us. Nothing existed yet. Nothing but us, and yet Arceus glowed in His divine light, and arched His long neck to me, growing quiet. Next to him, floating in a tight circle, his sons – a white dragon and a blue dragon – turned their attention towards me as well and fell silent. Born with the inherent inkling that I was here to help create a universe, I unwrapped my serpentine body, and awaited my order. Nevertheless, I also knew not what my role was. The ability to create and the ability for that matter to change was all in His grasp. What did Arceus need with me? I wondered. I still approached. As I drifted slowly towards the party, Arceus addressed me. 

“Giratina! So, you’ve finally found the strength to awaken,” He said, not quite condescending, but at the time, I knew no better. “We’ve already made some decisions. Unfortunately, your rule over anti-matter is too unstable for my plans, so, Palkia, our ruler of matter and space, shall aid me in creating a great and wide universe, as I’ve dreamt. And Dialga’s rule of time will animate things, keeping it interesting and alive.”

He looked up and away, recalling the things he wanted to include, all of the facets of a new universe he could call his very own. He seemed so dreamy, so happy, so excited to get started and I've wondered to this day why He ever created us. He had the power within him to make his dreams a reality. Then again, I am no great god as Him. I could never understand His need to create a universe, His need to spend time drafting new details and how to create them instead of actually doing it, much less his giddiness to make it as He saw fit. He was like a child making their own nest for the first time. At that point, I was naive. I existed and therefore I must have had a purpose in all this, even if things had already changed.

I turned to my so-called brothers. The white dragon standing on two legs I knew to be Palkia. His body was covered in white, pearly plates and his arms sported two discs that housed mauve jewels I could feel harbored his power. It was he who suggested to Arceus, “Then doesn’t that make her useless?” 

I gulped. Surely I did not want to be taken out of existence so quickly. However, before I could grovel for my life, my quieter brother spoke, “She could still be of use. I’m sure that all of your creating will leave no time for maintenance.” 

He was the diamond blue dragon I knew to be Dialga. He was similar in height to my new found enemy, and stood proud on four strong legs. His body was decorated with silver, crystal-like protrusions, the one covering his wide chest holding his jewel of power. He faced me confidently, and gave me a quick, friendly smirk, instilling some hope in me that I’d be spared. 

However, Palkia, would not back down. “Maintenance will still leave her useless. She’ll be sitting around with nothing to do for ages.”

“And I, too, brother, for all eternity,” Dialga quipped. “I merely need to exist for time to move forward.” 

“Dialga has a point, Palkia, stand down,” Arceus said, wanting to end the argument as soon as possible. In all respect, He was itching to begin His act of all creation. I could see it in His eyes. It didn't have anything to do with me. If the brothers could find a job for me, then He was eager to accept it than waste time killing me. With some thought, He nodded, and then turned to me, setting in stone my place in His grand design. “Your realm shall reside opposite of Palkia’s, and you must be sure to keep everything in order based on my commands.”

“I understand, Father,” I said. “Thank you.”

He then turned away from me, and floated before us, looking into the abyss. There were not yet any stars, no galaxies, just pure blackness. He began to speak softly, His mind whirling, I could tell.

“The universe, as I have dreamt, will be equally balanced. Silent and dark, but beautiful,” Arceus began, his voice distant and low, reveling in what was about to unfold. 

It was one of the few things he ever said that made me excited. Though I never found my role in the whole process as important as the creation of space or time, I managed to feel somewhat elated to have been given a role at all. It was all thanks to Dialga, and from that act of kindness, I began a foundation of fondness. With Palkia, I began what I meant to be a foundation in tolerance. I am only stating the story as it was. There’s no use in hiding what is already known in the minds of all who inhabit our creation. However, little did I know, at that time, that my future ahead would be quite treacherous, despite my best efforts. 

As Arceus spoke to us of his plans, Palkia, the one who should really have been listening, glared at me. Possibly, he must have wanted the task of managing all of space by himself, for reasons I am still unsure of. Although I felt his stare burn into the scales on my back, I did not let it faze me. I was too happy to be alive. I snuck past Palkia’s glare and propped myself confidently next to Dialga, who must have also been feeling my same happiness and excitement. We didn’t speak, but his bright red eyes met mine. I gave him a silent ‘thank you’ and turned back to Arceus as he rambled. I felt Palkia’s glare lift from my notice.

“We have much to accomplish in the next few millennia,” Arceus announced. “But for now, give me light!” 

With that command, He seemed to share his divine light with the blackness surrounding us, setting into motion a universe illuminated by countless waves of photons. Palkia moved past us, ahead of Arceus, and began expanding space as we now know it. He first brought his claws together, creating a small, black, perfectly spherical ball of energy. The light that had escaped Arceus was drawn to the sphere, and as Palkia molded it, the light entered the mix. Arceus moved toward him, unveiling His elemental plates, and pouring much of their energy into the sphere. It expanded with this power, but Palkia kept it contained until he could no longer hold it stable. Arceus sensed this. From every inch of His body, a thousand arms sprang forth and surrounded Palkia.

“You may let it go,” Arceus murmured. 

Palkia handed the ball off to our Father. His countless arms held the sphere together as it threatened to decay as we stood watching. Even from the distance I floated, the stress and heat from the thing was incredible to experience. Beams of brilliant, blinding light shot out of the tiny universe as it strained and seemed to complain against Arceus as He folded it smaller and smaller until it was white hot and no bigger than a pin head. 

Feeling pleased with himself, Arceus relaxed and allowed the white dot to fall from his grasp below us into the abyss. With no sound at all, the sphere burst. It was terribly bright, but for some time, nothing rushed at us and the light disappeared. I remember feeling a pit in my throat. Nothing? Was it a dud? I seemed to be the only one concerned, as Arceus kept His eyes steady on the spot we last saw the universe fall. Slowly, small, hot balls of light whizzed past us.

One.

One hundred.

One million.

As the seconds wore on, more complicated rocks and larger stars flew by, until finally, the universe slowed, only expanding quickly at its fringes many light-years away from us. However, it continued to be in motion, just as an eddy becomes a whirlpool. All around us, stars formed into clusters and further into galaxies dragged out into the blackness until they were no bigger than a single star in the night sky you may be familiar with. Galaxies collided with one another violently in this mess, tossing stars and planets, like bits of dust, into the cosmos to be lost forever. It was a tornado of lights for a very long time, and we floated there watching it for millions upon millions of years. I'm sure you cannot fathom it, but to us, time is just a construct. It is another wave moving noiselessly through the abyss, and its passage means little. The chaos would die down soon enough, and then the real work would begin. In that time, we need not interfere. The universe was like a child, nurtured by each of us, but finding its own way through the darkness as it took up more space. 

“We must make a home realm,” Arceus said once He felt we had slacked off long enough. He lead us to the galaxy nearest Him and settled into an arm of stars seemingly arbitrarily.

I looked around. The sky was dark here; the stars were not as dense as they were at the center and only one star seemed to be close enough to share its heat. It was still very far away, though. Closer objects, like meteors, floated sluggishly by and bits of ice seemed to tumble in place. This spot wasn't very remarkable. 

“Why here?” I had the nerve to ask.

“Do you find something amiss, Giratina?” Arceus challenged in a loving sort of way only a merciless god could. How dare I question His divine decisions?

“No,” I spit out quickly, fear welling up in my chest. “I just...thought light would be important. I'm sure you're not finished, are you, Father?”

“You are correct. But the center of galaxies are much too hot. Here, by this yellow star, away from the violence of the center of this galaxy, we shall forge a planet,” Arceus answered, becoming soft once more as he melted into his dream. 

“Father?” Palkia asked, but did not finish his thought. Knowing Arceus as well as we did, it only made sense that any old planet floating among us would not do. 

Palkia nodded, understanding, and began gathering spare dust, ice, and rocks from the debris still flying about our heads, forming a special planet we later called Earth. However, Arceus would take His time perfecting it, and in the meantime, forged a legendary castle for us to reside in for the coming millennia. 

Most humans do not know of its existence, for it fell out of use before man acquired legendary tales from common Pokemon. We collectively referred to the castle as The Universe, for it was our main place of business at the time, and the rest of the empty expanse beyond it was left mostly to its own devices. It was only the Earth that would be further coddled. Over the ages, The Universe Castle became luxurious, but in the time of only four creators – Arceus and his children, Dialga, Palkia, and I – it was simply just a mountain range floating just above the Earth’s ancient atmosphere. It is the best way I can describe it for a mortal such as yourself.

It was only in the early stages of the universe and Earth that Arceus was this happy and eager to stay as one unit, working together in close proximity. Dialga pressed time forward, Palkia created matter, and I balanced the inner physics and decay that came with that. I wouldn't see much of Arceus during that time. He would hold up in his throne room, agonizing over details I couldn't describe. But He was happy, and that meant, for a time, so was I. However, as all Pokemon of today know my story, that just could not be for very long.


	2. Mother

Shortly after the castle was built, things calmed down and boredom was upon me to the point of despair. As Arceus worked with Palkia sorting out the details, discussing how each atom would work, what each planet would contain, and how Earth would be ruled, Dialga and I did very little. For the time, the universe was young, and relatively still. Even with time rushing forward, all was quiet, so eerily quiet here at the center of it all.

The castle itself was just as silent and dark. Though the inside was beautiful – white and violet tiles lined the hallways and porcelain pillars held up the ceilings – I could only make out these details by the starlight that filtered through the tall, open windows. I dared not explore the very insides of the castle, for they were too dark to see anything. So dark, in fact, that I figured the closed doors led to black holes. To pass the time, I patrolled the outer hallways that snaked around The Universe castle, never expecting to find anything. 

“Bored?” Dialga asked one day as I passed through one of the lower halls. He was lazily residing in the hall, leaning a shoulder up against the wall, gazing out the window directly ahead of him. Blue starlight from neighboring constellations cast a dramatic glow to his deep, ultramarine skin and streaks of light bounced onto the walls from his silver chest plate. 

His voice was sudden to me, and I jumped. Seeing it was him, I immediately cowered, unable to make words. I eventually found some composure, and bashfully agreed, “Y-yes, quite.”

“I guess whether one is daydreaming out of a window or down at the floor, it’s all the same,” he gestured to the opening before him.

I nodded, only realizing he was talking about the two of us some time later. 

“I’ve explored these hallways, too. I got tired of it,” Dialga went on. “I decided to watch what Palkia and Father were doing.” He looked back out the window as he said it, and I felt compelled to follow his gaze.

Approaching him cautiously, I stretched my neck so as not to invade any personal space in my curiosity. However, Palkia and Arceus were nowhere to be seen or heard. I suppose he must have been speaking about their work that lay ahead and twinkled against the black ink of emptiness. The galaxy was astonishing, I had to admit. I hadn't bothered to look at it in some time, but its beauty had no comparison. Stars of all colors dotted the black. Upon closer inspection, clouds of white dust sprinkled the background behind those stars. Bright planets lightyears away were reflecting their phosphorescent glows back at Earth and The Universe Castle. Some stars even streaked across the sky in a hurry and white haze. 

“How does exploring the galaxy sound to you?” Dialga asked, again his voice reverberating through my thoughts and dousing them out, pulling me back into reality. I held my breath.

“Lovely,” I exhaled, beginning to feel comfortable in his presence. Leaning forward, I phased through the wall, as my ghostly powers allow, and floated out into the expanse of space. It felt good to be outside. The light from The Great Star laid its yellow rays upon my gray and black scales, as well as my golden ornaments, which reflected the light back at Dialga. Noticing this, I shifted my position, embarrassed, thinking I had blinded him.

“You know,” the Time master said, playfully annoyed, “Some of us need doors in order to go through walls.” 

With this, my cheeks became hot, and I was thankful my golden headdress covered much of my face. I laughed nervously and answered, “Oh! I didn’t realize!”

He laughed at me, and I could tell he knew well of my bashful demeanor.

“No matter, there’s a door here.” 

I followed him down the hall from outside, catching a glimpse of him with each passing window. Upon reaching the door, he kicked it open with one, silver-studded foot, and joined me in the starry heavens. Like me, the Great Star’s rays bounced off his metallic ornaments as he galloped towards me. As soon as he caught up, I slithered away further into space. His answer was to attempt to catch me again. I didn't fly too far – just as far as the Moon is from the Earth today. It was a pleasant game of tag and for once I wasn't bored. Each place I looked, the sky was different - the randomness of the stars and solar systems millions of miles away lent to the still and silent beauty of it all. Constellations are very different now than they were back then – stars have been born and many have died since this very first dance.

Like many things in my life, besides my endless solitude, it couldn't last. 

“Ahem!” came a familiar voice, and I reluctantly turned around to stare Palkia right in the face. 

He seemed angry with us, though at that point, I didn’t know why. 

“You know, unlike you two, some of us have been working for hundreds of years!” he spat, glaring at me in particular, but I paid no mind to it.

“My apologies, brother,” Dialga greeted him, coming up close to show he meant no harm to the Space Titan. “We were actually coming out to see your marvelous work. You can’t give all the credit to Father.” 

It was with that compliment, Palkia finished his brooding and self pity. Instead, he turned meek and happy. I could not believe, nor can I believe it now, but I actually had competition for affections I, at that time, did not yet realize I pined for. Palkia's ego is easily stroked if one wants to do it. Dialga knew how to calm him, knew exactly what to say. I could have imitated him. I chose not to. 

“Thank you,” Palkia answered, feeling fulfilled and ready to do another hundred year’s worth of work if it meant hearing Dialga’s kind compliments, I am sure. “But, anyway, Father wants to see us. The galaxies are finished, and He wants to move onto Earth. He says this is where things get complicated.”

“Brainstorming, I guess,” Dialga arched his neck to tell me. 

“Maybe,” Palkia added. “Anyway, it’s this way, the middle of The Universe Castle.”

It was there my interest peaked. I had been roaming those halls for ages, unable to muster the courage to venture further in. I was psyched to find out what the center of the castle looked like. I could not imagine it though, as to be expected, for nothing existed at this time until it blinked into existence. However, even if I could imagine anything, I don’t think my imagination could have come up with what I saw upon arriving at Arceus’ grand hall, or rather, his own personal thinking room. 

As we passed over the tall towers and walls of the castle, I could see light coming from within through the various windows, as if Palkia and Arceus had outfitted the halls with tiny stars to light the darkness. My attention was averted from this as we approached the room of interest. It had no ceiling, and we simply lowered ourselves down to the tile floor, the matching hues of violet and white were brought here from the hallways. It was a large, round room, with a golden throne fit for only Arceus. Though it was big enough for any of us to sit, we knew better. Lighting the room was the glow of fire, which lined the room in controlled sconces, though much of the illumination came from The Great Star above. As I gawked at the sight of the expanse of this glorious room, I saw Dialga looking as well, mouth agape. 

“Don’t look too stunned,” Arceus chuckled from across the room. “Come closer. We must discuss Earth.”

I piped up a question that had been bugging me, “What about it?”

Arceus paused, and ignoring whatever rudeness He thought I meant, replied, “I want this planet to support life forces like ours.”

“Wouldn’t that cause…complications?” Dialga interjected gently.

Arceus answered, “Ones not as powerful as we, not quite with the same powers, but still, to be merely living, is what I meant. That is why I have created another deity that I hope you will all welcome into our humble abode.”

He turned his back on us, and with a flick of His head, motioned that our eyes meet a small, pink, feline-like presence that was floating beside Him, just over His head. She was so small I had not seen her at first. 

“Hello! My name is Mew,” the pink kitten said to us.

“Mew will be life’s designer,” Arceus announced. “She will come up with what every life form looks like, and coupled with my orders, also everything about them, with some artistic license, of course. And then I will create them and send them to Earth to procreate and flourish.”

It all sounded quite fantastical, but again, I found myself useless in this discussion. However, Arceus told us not to worry, and that He, in fact, wanted our input for more deities that would watch over and morph Earth in ways that would be suitable for life on its surface. Immediately the room echoed with our ideas. All three of us had something to say about Earth, which up until this point was nothing but a smoldering sphere of lava and poisonous gas. 

“We need someone to tighten up the core!”

“There needs to be ice, to cool down the atmosphere!”

“Then we’d need a team to control the atmosphere…”

“Will all lifeforms be able to handle the noxious gas? Should we get rid of it?”

Arceus spoke over us, “Okay! Okay! I understand much needs to be done to Earth before we can expect anyone to live there. Mew? Did you get those ideas down?”

“I did. I’m designing them now,” Mew said. She had a stone tablet in hand and was drawing pictures with a chalk stone as we shouted our ideas.

It was good to feel like I was part of a team but we spent mere hours pinning down what needed to be addressed on Earth first. Then it was back to the same old grind, as if the meeting never happened. Over the next few days, it would be back to boredom for me, although Mew's presence was a welcome difference. Mew, like Palkia, became obsessed with her work. It was all she ever really spoke about. However, much unlike Palkia, she came up to me, and sometimes Dialga, for ideas. She welcomed our input and that was a breath of fresh air. As I resumed my prowling throughout the hallways, Mew would continuously catch up to me and ask my advice.

“Well, the ones that need to control the weather…I can’t quite think of anything,” Mew confided in me one day. “Our Lord is expecting some rough drafts of all the needed hands today, but I just can’t get these two.”

“Two? Why not just have one deity control the atmosphere? Then there would be no disagreements,” I suggested. As part of a group myself, I was already feeling the weight of sharing duties and the constant feeling of inadequacy as one member of my team took on most of the work load. 

Mew shook her head. “I think it’d be better as a team. I already told Arceus that I planned to have titans for land, ocean, and atmosphere formation. They should work fine, and we should get an even balance of everything! You can't give one deity too much to do – the Lord was very specific about power limitations. Water comes in many forms, and therefore the weather may be too complicated for just one deity, you see.”

I nodded. I supposed that was fair. My biases would have to be put away for now. I sighed and went on to suggest, “Well, if they will control the atmosphere, then they ought to be able to fly or float in the air. Gravity is a problem on Earth, yes?”

Mew nodded, thinking. I never felt like I was much help, but Mew did come to me time and time again to pick my brain. However, when the new deities were born, Arceus did not summon Palkia, Dialga, or myself to meet them. 

“When everything is settled on Earth, there shall be a Great Meeting,” He told us once in passing. “Until then, just enjoy yourselves. The entire castle is accessible to you; just don’t forget your duties.”

Over the next several hundred years, I explored the rest of the castle, and watched as Earth changed. The atmosphere's thick, ugly purple haze dissipated into clear skies that revealed landmasses and ocean basins. White clouds moved through this kinder atmosphere, and watching them drift lazily upon its surface filled me with a calmness I'm not known for. Every once in a while, bright blue or red lights would spark upon its surface – a great battle was raging during this time.

“I know the Lord wants to wait, but I think you should get to know them,” Mew said quietly while we watched the Earth turn, speaking of the titans below that worked to shape the Earth into its known, stable form. 

“Well, what are they like?” I inquired. 

“Well, I can’t say they aren’t hard-headed,” Mew said, folding her arms, upset that her creations were not nearly as perfect as Arceus’ own designs in the two of us. I worried that if she was already disappointed in the first batch of guardian designs, that the work load would eventually consume her. We had become great friends over the years, and, unbeknownst to Arceus, she often let me help her a lot in coming up with unique and beautiful designs. When there was no work to be done, Mew was silly and playful. To pass the time, she would engage me and Dialga in games of hide and seek and tag. She was serious in her work, though, and when she was summoned, her entire demeanor changed into that of stress and ambition. The pressure to do as Arceus asked was evident in her tired, baby blue eyes.

“Take it easy,” I murmured. “It makes them different, and being unique can be a good thing.”

“I guess. But I know they don’t really like each other,” Mew told me. “Groudon and Kyogre…they’re always at each other’s throats over how much ocean and how much land there should be on the Earth.”

“I see. Well, what about the other one?”

“Heatran? He works alone. He’s been working on getting the core stable. Meanwhile, Groudon and Kyogre battle it out. You were right about their sharing duties. Now I have a whole new issue to sort out. Our Lord won't help, but I think something must be done or we won't be able to move on.”

“What do you have in mind?” I inquired.

“I…don’t know,” she answered bashfully as she turned away from me, and towards her room. “Whatever it is, it’ll be big enough to intimidate them to come to some kind of agreement!”

“There you go!” I said, flashing a smile that she returned, tiredly.

“I guess if you’re getting to work, I should, too,” I said n solidarity, and went to my own room as well. 

High in a far away tower, the essence of the Reverse World resided. Small, and not completely functional, my room was almost like a tiny planetarium. The walls, with their mirror-like surfaces reflecting the whole universe gave the illusion that the space was a thousand times bigger than it actually was. In reality, the room was just big enough to fit my girth and stretch out my ghastly tentacles as they pointed at certain areas of the universe to control. To another observer, it would have seemed as though there was no way to tell what part of the inky blackness needed repairs. After all, as some point, it all looked the same no matter where the untrained eye looked. To me, however, I just knew. I always have, though, in the great expanse of the true Reverse World, problems are a lot more obvious. 

I got to work, though, at this point in history, there was little to do. Stars needed to die, black holes needed to be shifted. I also used this time to spy on Mew’s creations, as I was simply curious as to what design she finally chose. Observing Earth, I caught glimpses of Kyogre as she breached, shooting Hydro Pumps at Groudon, who cowered behind great mountains he arose. Kyogre was a beautiful design, in my opinion – sleek and perfect for movement in the oceans she controlled, as I suggested. Groudon was heavy-set, tall, and intimidating, his red color surely expressing his attitude as he sent tremors into the deep to catch his adversary. Mew was right – they truly could not agree. I foresaw this, but even if Mew had agreed with me, she couldn't simply refuse Arceus' wishes. This was His universe – we were just His humble servants. In a way, Kyogre and Groudon knew this, too, and took it very seriously. After all, it was their decisions that would shape the world and dictate what sort of life forms could fill the oceans and prairies of the Earth. 

From my seat in the highest, most secluded tower of The Universe Castle, I could do nothing to assuage their bitter rivalry. It wasn't my place to. Arceus was strict and would have been cross should I have butted into things that didn't concern me. As much as He wanted us to join Him in making His universe better than in His dreams, that really wasn't reality. We all had particular jobs to do and mine did not concern the Earth, and it barely concerned the universe, but the emptiness beyond even that. I suppose we are lucky He did not think to imprison us from the get-go.


	3. Fountain of Youth

It would be a few days before I saw Mew again, but at her request, I made my way towards the Edge of the Universe Castle. This area was like a platform, an extension of the castle floor jutting out into space from the end of a thick hallway. It was a designated spot for deities created in the castle to jump down to Earth and come back again. As I approached, the hallway became wider and I spotted Mew with a large dragon I had never seen before looking over the edge. Sensing me, Mew turned around and greeted me with a smile.

“Giratina! Just in time! What do you think?” she asked, shifting my gaze from her tiny paws to the large, emerald dragon beside her. 

He was larger than I, tipping his golden eyes down to meet mine. His snake-like form was so much like mine, I figured Mew had used me as a blueprint. I was flattered, although there were many differences Mew had taken the liberty of incorporating. His green body was much more slender than mine, his horns not as ornate, mouth filled with ruby teeth, and he possessed limbs tipped with sharp claws. Yellow and black designs similar in shape and pattern to Kyogre's and Groudon's decorated his skin and emitted a faint golden glow. Despite his fearsome appearance, he is calm and duty-driven. 

“This is Rayquaza, my newest deity. He’s going to control the atmosphere and protect the Earth from the great star’s harmful rays,” Mew explained. In later years, Rayquaza’s realm became known as the Ozone layer, for your reference. 

“My lady,” Rayquaza bowed his head to me. At first, I was shocked – I had never had anyone address me as such. I appreciated it all the same. After all, I was his superior as one of Arceus' children. I bowed my head in response to his greeting.

Smiling I turned to Mew and said, “He looks very capable! Perhaps he can also knock some sense into Groudon and Kyogre?” 

Rayquaza snickered. Mew answered, “And I was just telling him about it!”

“I will do my best, my lady,” Rayquaza nodded. “I should take my leave if I am to get started. Perhaps when I return we can talk more?”

The question was directed at me, but he didn't give me the chance to answer. Diving from the edge, the emerald air titan descended to Earth, his thin body arching as he zoomed to the world below us. I watched him as he became smaller and disappeared into the red and auburn clouds of an ancient Earth. Lightening struck across the atmosphere, and thunder rumbled ever so slightly. 

Mew interrupted my silence, “He seems to like you.”

“Hm?” I inquired absentmindedly. 

“He’s very fond of you. I told him about you...a lot, and, um, meeting you, he seemed to really appreciate you even more,” Mew explained, tripping over her words a bit. I was already becoming a shut-in at this point, often disappearing into the castle darkness. I think, even now, Mew made it her business to give me friends. Pokemon to talk to, at least, was one of her goals as a friend who couldn't be present all the time. I never knew if she was aware of my rocky, contrary relationship with Palkia or my Father at the time, but now I think it's obvious she might have had an inkling. After all, I tried my best to stay out their way.

“I felt that,” I answered her, distant. 

Mew cocked her head, unsure as to what to make of my lackluster response to the prospects of a new friend. However, my thoughts went elsewhere at the notion of feelings of that caliber, though I could not pinpoint where. My mind was blank, and yet I felt the urge to leave on a quest to find someone or something. There was a tugging I felt deep in my chest. It cropped up whenever I was at my loneliest and even being with Mew could not dispel it. Bonds are important, even to dragons, although we don't typically make too many of them. It seemed, at the time, my heart had already forged a bond I was missing now. The presentation of a new connection only made me yearn for the old one more. 

“You okay?” Mew asked. She couldn't understand. 

I shook my head. “I probably haven’t slept as well as I should. I will see you around the castle. Good work on Rayquaza – he seems very capable of the job you have set forth for him.” 

Mew gave me a worried, but appreciative smile as I turned and left for the Earth, diving down to the rusted clouds. 

I was still unsure where my drive was coming from, and so, emerging into the inner halls, I just kept moving forward. The halls were empty and the silence was blaring. It was as if my ears had been completely plugged with cotton and not a decibel could penetrate my thoughts. However, that became untrue as the sound of water dripping into a deep pool caught my attention. It echoed throughout the hallway, each ripple of sound strengthening and pushing the one before it across the walls. As I approached closer, I happened across a room I had never seen before. 

Phasing through the stone, as was my custom, I explored the room. It was a large expanse with no inner walls. The pattern that adorned the enclosure matched that of the rest of the castle interior, and was lit with the glow of flames enclosed in their sconces. This chamber, unlike the many wide, open, and empty rooms, had something special. Covering most of the tile was a wide bath implanted into the floor. Oddly shaped, with curves like the ocean currents, its rim was golden and snaked around the area, never making contact with the walls. In the middle of the large pool sat an elegant fountain like a great pillar that reached to the high ceiling, well above my head. From its gold, tower-like trunk sprouted water spouts all around it, shiny and new, never touched before. I spotted the one that was leaking right in front of me; small droplets of water following each other over the edge, plummeting down towards the floor together until they hit the water’s surface with the familiar “ping”. I got close and inspected it further.

I was so intrigued and focused on this nozzle that I was startled by the sudden screech of a handle being forced down from across the room, and again when the water crashed into my face. I heard a light-hearted chuckle as I stepped back from the fountain and let the small waterfall reach the pool below unabated. I shook away the excess from my face and peered past the golden trunk. I was shocked to see Dialga standing there, his silver-studded foot still on the handle. 

“I take it you’ve never been here before?” he asked as he walked towards me. Light from the sconces outlined the ripples and waves that formed as he moved through the pool. 

“No, I haven’t. I appreciate the prank, by the way. Really, I do,” I sarcastically quipped. He smirked, and stood next to me, his feet submerged. I remained floating.

“Palkia comes in here a lot to wash away the dirt and rocks from forming planets,” Dialga told me. “This liquid is a pure substance. It is still water, but it isn't salty like the ocean water on Earth. This water washes away all forms of grime.”

“Does it, now?”

“Yes. I’ve been here a few times myself. It’s almost magical, as if it also cleanses the soul,” he explained, and dunked his head under the stream still pouring from the nozzle. “It also surprisingly tastes good.”

I giggled, not entirely convinced, and watched him enjoy the seemingly mystic elixir wash over his sapphire skin, and stream into the grooves of his silver plates like valleys. He backed up, expecting me to try it. Giving in, I followed his example, trusting that the experience would be as sensational as he made it out to be. 

I had never actually felt anything like it before, the sensitivity of my flesh under my scales awakened by the cool liquid as it seeped between each scale it encountered on its way down my body. The feeling was exhilarating at first, but then became relaxing. I closed my eyes, and just listened to the sound the rushing water made at it crashed onto me and the water below my girth. I sank down into the pool, coiling myself on the ground under the surface. Every drip and drop echoed across the walls. I opened my mouth guard to let the water completely reach my face and enter my mouth. It was good, as Dialga said it was.

“You seem to be enjoying it,” Dialga commented as he joined me under the waterfall. "That's good!" 

I could sense him become very close to me as he attempted to share the single shower spout with me. His foreleg brushed past one of my spikes and rested against my body. This slight pressure tore my thoughts away from the water and placed them squarely on him. I froze, keeping my eyes shut. 

My heart and my thoughts began to race and a mix of fear and elation ran through me, as well as the thought that those feelings were in an odd combination. Somehow it felt natural, as unnatural as it seemed. Would I feel this way if it was anyone else beside me? I thought and thought, trying desperately not to tremble or tear myself away as I processed it all. Something inside me knew the answer was no. 

Definitively. 

Even as I searched for an alternative.

It was then I finally realized that he was the one I wanted to find before. I wondered to myself if he felt the same way I did. Had he done this on purpose? Or did he think nothing of it? He seemed to be so much more concerned with letting the water droplets snake down his scales that I pushed those musings away. I heard him let out a deep sigh, his dragon voice transforming the sigh into a bit of a grunt. I opened my eyes at this sound, and I was taken aback by his godly majesty. The water flowing over him animated his otherwise still body, and the orange glow from the sconces all around us seemed to make him radiate with power. 

I gulped as another shot of Butterfree fluttered into my chest. At the time, these feelings were not named, and so I stood, baffled at myself and felt very awkward. Again my mind grasped for answers that didn't yet exist. Dialga backed away from me and opened his eyes, meeting my gaze. It was as if he knew I was having trouble, and stood silently waiting for me to explain myself. I knew I couldn't. I also knew I was staring, and quickly shifted my eyes down at the dark pool of water below us. 

“Your gold plates are much shinier, now,” Dialga pointed out bluntly. 

“Oh! Well, that’s good. Who knew I was so filthy!” I said, keeping the conversation going.

“Exactly, I had no idea either. After all, of the three of us, I do the least amount of work,” Dialga said, shaking his head with a smile.

I giggled under my breath, still distracted, but finally felt myself calming down. Now was the time to escape, before things got strange again.

“Speaking of work,” I caught on to the reminder, “I should probably do mine. Right about now.”

I turned to leave and floated towards the wall I phased through beforehand. 

“Oh, okay,” was his downtrodden response. 

It was not as if I wanted to leave, but the fear of awkward silence would have certainly turned the otherwise wonderful experience sour. Dialga was truly the winner of my thoughts for many days to come after that moment. I relished in my newfound feelings, coming to enjoy the excitement they stirred throughout my entire body. 

I would also ponder them. What was their function, exactly? Were they a byproduct of being alive? Could they possibly be a mistake? I did not want to ask Arceus about it. He was far too busy, far too serious, far too self-absorbed to hear of it. Most of all, I feared He’d take those feelings away from me, if, for whatever reason, they were a mistake. So, I kept them a secret. Whenever I saw Dialga, I tried to act normal, though I had bashfully forgotten what "normal" was in front of him. I had become stiff and words became cumbersome. To my displeasure, I attempted to avoid him, for fear that my feelings for him would become public. After all, if I couldn't understand them, how could I expect anyone else to figure it out? It felt like something one needed to experience to even begin unpacking the philosophical aspects of it. So, a secret it remained, and the universe was no worse off for it.

...

Over the next few hundred years, Mew created a great menagerie of deities. The fighting between Kyogre and Groudon had become so great, and such a hindrance, that Rayquaza had no choice but to put them both to sleep, nestled away in separate caverns, never to awaken again. Mew was saddened by this, but put on a happy face. After all, things could finally progress, and that was all that mattered to Arceus. 

Palkia had added a rocky satellite to the Earth around this time, primarily to brighten the dark side of the world that could not catch the Great Star’s rays. Mew and Rayquaza observed that its gravitational pull affected Kyogre’s seas, and so put their heads together to create a deity for it. Beautiful and colorful, Cresselia was born for this task.

Mew also created Lugia and Ho-oh, two bird-like Pokemon that could help Rayquaza control the weather that had begun to appear within the Earth’s atmosphere. The movement of the seas, the magnetic shifts of the core, and the warmth of the Great Star concocted great thunder storms, ice caps, rainfall, and drought. However, order was needed, or, rather, mandated, and so Lugia and Ho-oh balanced the amounts of rain and sun different locations received. Arceus commanded that each habitat be different for his plethora of lesser-beings to live, flourish, and change on their own. Despite what is said in scripture, Arceus did not rest, ever, and watched over the shoulders of every deity as forests, mountains, rivers, and deserts were formed and their climates established. I couldn't be more happy to be left out of it. My Father was quick to anger; everything had to be just so. It took Palkia and Dialga to quell Arceus' frustration, and Mew would ensure Him again and again that the Earth would be as He dreamed soon enough.

As all of this transpired, I kept more and more to myself. After all, I was not needed. My duties were not with the Earth, but rather, the great expanse of emptiness that surrounded it. Mew also had little time to give me. Every time she saw me she attempted to speak with me, only to be dragged away by her own ideas for new deities and lesser beings she was finally able to begin creating. I did not mind. I was content with my own thoughts and going about a mundane life as everything around me changed. At the time, I did not realize how much everything evolved, and how cast into the shadows my existence became as new and powerful deities began roaming the halls I no longer wished to float through. Things had become boring outside, and I began to detach from reality. After all, the contents of my mind were even more limitless than the universe itself, and my tower was the safe place I could coil up and explore it. Wakefulness was only useful in performing my duties. Anything but dreaming was boring. Oh, if only things could have stayed that way...


	4. Inquisitor

As the years rolled by, I found myself spending more and more time in my room, balancing black holes, minding super novas, and depleting gravitational pulls, as well as enjoying my own thoughts. I rarely ventured far from my room. As an immortal, I have few needs and none of them required I leave my tower. So, I went about a monotonous, programmed life for many years. I didn't feel them tick away. It was not until after a century or so that Mew suddenly appeared, and shook her head at me in a nuance of disgust. 

“What?” I asked, feeling her judgement. 

Mew had popped into my room unannounced and now floated with a tired expression and arms crossed. She had found me curled up like an Ekans, relaxing on my stone floor doing nothing. Reeling in her negative opinion of me, the disappointment on her cat-like face was replaced with concern.

“Just, haven’t seen you in forever,” she complained with a huff. “What have you been doing?”

“My job,” I quickly answered. I knew she would think me lazy and anti-social - for all accounts I was slowly becoming just that. I acted as if I didn't realize this, and stared back at her as if I didn't know what else to tell her.

That wasn't good enough for Mew. “How come you don’t come out anymore?”

She was whining, and I didn't have the slightest clue how to articulate what was really going through my head. To be honest, I don’t quite know what happened to me during those years. I had found myself better preoccupied with stars and fantasies than friends and reality. I was staying clear of Arceus' rampage over the years, trying my best not to get swept up in his "dream". I wanted nothing to do with it and surely didn't need to remind him I existed and that my shoulder needed looking over. I was also avoiding Dialga, though, admittedly, he conquered my thoughts as I lay motionless on the floor. I wanted everything to do with him, but with my feelings becoming a whirlwind of confusion around him, I found it best to just not see him for a while. I was convinced that at some point the storm inside me would blow over. However, I could not find the words to say this to Mew. I didn't think she would understand and instead become upset that I hadn't come to talk to her about it. 

“The castle just bores me,” I came up with an excuse. 

Mew had a counter for me, as I expected. “Well, there are plenty of new Pokemon for you to meet now!” 

“I thought Arceus didn’t want us all to gather until Earth was finalized?” I was truly resisting her. I’m not quite sure what was driving this childish struggle. I must have been feeling too bashful, yet too proud to show myself after such a long absence. Assuming I was the only one who didn't mindlessly walk the halls, I was sure there would be questions just like Mew's coming from strangers' mouths about where I had been.

Mew continued to pester me, though. “It’s not strict, He just doesn’t want to have a huge meet and greet quite yet.”

She had beaten me. I did not have another good reason for staying in my coil, and she fruitlessly tugged on my gold horns. “Just come down with me! I’ll introduce you!”

I finally gave in when I said, “Fine, fine, I’ll come with you. Who’s new?”

I reluctantly uncoiled myself and rose from the floor, stretching my tentacles and my gold plates. How long had I been on the floor? I approached the stone wall and phased through. Mew quickly teleported to greet me on the other side. The great expanse of space had not changed very much from when I last saw it in person. It was still an inky blackness penetrated by the brilliance of stars thousands of light-years away. An endless night. However, passing my tower, the rays of light from the Great Star reflected off a new Earth as it came into view. It was drastically different than I had imagined. It was pleasantly blue and green now with gentle whites on its North and South poles. Pleasant clouds moved over its surface lazily. It was so peaceful to look at, so mesmerizing to experience.

Mew came up to my side and murmured, “See? You missed a lot.”

“So, I have,” I said quietly. 

Mind you, the Earth was still not like it is today, what with the continents in vastly different places and such. But it certainly looked a lot more hospitable. It was the gem of the solar system. 

“Many more deities have joined the group,” Mew said, pulling me towards The Universe Castle's ceiling by tugging on my horns again. We both found our respective ways inside. “There is a Pokemon for every working of the Earth.”

“And I’m sure you want me to meet them all, yes?” I asked with a nuance of sarcasm, as I knew Mew too well to be serious in asking such a thing.

“Of course!” she giggled. “You’re just in time. The ladies usually gather by the Fountain now. It’s the perfect opportunity for you to meet them all at once!” 

\--

When we finally arrived at the Fountain, I instantly recognized it as the very same place I last spent time with Dialga. However, the room itself was remarkably different. Though the fountain was still a golden tower adorned with water spouts that now spewed the relaxing substance continuously, the room was much brighter. The ceiling itself was illuminated with electric power fueled from a source unbeknownst to me and brightened the entire room so that not an inch of it was shrouded in darkness. It was for this reason my opinion of the room changed and I secretly wanted it to change back into the barely-lit room I saved in my memory. The walls reverberated with the sound of the water crashing unto itself from the fountain and the chatter from the Pokemon enjoying its refreshing qualities. 

Mew led me closer to them. As I was not hard to miss, they all looked up and stared as we approached. All those eyes on me made me nervous; meeting so many new Pokemon at once was daunting. What could I possibly talk to them about? Would they ask me why they are only meeting me now?

“Hey, girls!” Mew greeted them familiarly, which furthered my unease, but I kept quiet and in place so as not to draw any more attention to myself. 

The gaggle of deities were all bird-shaped, though it appeared to be the only thing they held in common. One was very beautiful and covered in sapphire-colored feathers over a short and stout body. A long, shiny tail erupted from behind her wings and curled like a ribbon behind her. Her head crest rested just above her deep, red eyes before her small face concluded into a small beak. The bird beside her was yellow and black with sharp-looking feathers, her tail a bush of spikes, it seemed. Everything about her seemed jagged and her face ended in a very long, pointed beak. Behind them the last bird sat at the edge of the tub. She was also a yellow bird but seemed almost consumed in fire, the flames replacing feathers on her wings. Her body was slender and her conical beak sat just below her eyes, gentle and mysterious.

“Gira, these girls make up the Legendary Bird trio who help out Lugia with the weather of Earth. You’ll meet him later, but this is Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres,” Mew introduced them, pointing to the blue one, the yellow one, and the fiery one respectfully. “And girls, this is Giratina! She’s the mistress of anti-matter. She helps Palkia maintain the universe outside of Earth.”

The three bowed their heads, welcoming me. For a moment I felt at ease; maybe this wouldn't be so hard after all. Unfortunately, a thought these things much too soon. 

I heard the haughty voice chime in and the look of dread swept across the faces of the legendary birds in front of me, “Helping Palkia? I didn’t know Palkia needed help. The cosmos seem ever so still!”

From behind the tall fountain emerged another bird, though she seemed larger in every way to the others. A golden crest in the same sheen as mine with matching tail feathers that splayed out like a firework, this bird demanded attention. Her beak was also as sharp as her attitude. I have to admit, she was beautifully rainbow-colored, though her eyes troubled me in the way they glared. 

“You would be surprised,” I finally spoke.

“Perhaps I would,” she said in a questioning tone.

“Gira, this is Ho-oh,” Mew introduced her. “She works on the opposite of Lugia as a lack of weather and the beauty of nature.”

“I also spread around the joys of Arceus’ creation that is the Earth!” she added, though I could already tell she was fluffing up her duties to be more noble and stunning than they actually were. Nevertheless, I tried my best to be courteous.

“So, tell us what exactly it is that you do in space that Palkia cannot take care of?” Ho-oh challenged.

As annoying as she was, I preferred to shift my answers to the other three birds who seemed genuinely intrigued by me. I answered, “I work on the dimension opposite of this one. Black holes, the remnants of dead stars found all over the galaxy, are where these dimensions connect. It is my duty to ensure that their power and diameters stay constant. It is a round-the-clock kind of responsibility. Should they become unstable, they could collapse both dimensions.”

Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres were so intrigued by my answer that they seemed to lean in on every word. Although Ho-oh was listening, she did not seem to believe a word I was saying. Instead, she attempted to deflate my duties.

“So, you’re a “behind-the-scenes” kind of worker, yes?”

“I suppose you could say that,” I answered, at that time, not really realizing how condescending she was being. Mew was noticing it though; I could see the confused, yet defensive face she was giving Ho-oh. 

The rainbow mistress sighed, “Well, then I just don’t understand! Dialga told us about you, and how impressive your work was, but you seem kind of useless to me. I mean, you rule over a dimension none of us will ever go or enjoy!”

I perked up for a split second at the sound of Dialga’s name and Ho-oh took notice of it before I retaliated the rest of her sentence with bared teeth, "That isn't the point."

“Okay, Ho-oh, I think that’s enough,” Mew stated, trying to get between us. I was still baring my teeth at the rainbow hawk, but I never intended to us them. Ho-oh only elevated the corners of her beak in a slight smirk, having already found the right buttons to push. She quickly recomposed herself and angled her neck so as to face Mew.

“You’re right, I’m sorry. I’ve been kind of moody and, dare I say it, a bit jealous, lately,” Ho-oh confided in us. All of a sudden, she seemed sad, looking for pity. The flock of birds behind her took notice, but none of them opened their beaks to offer their support. In fact, it looked like they had heard this before, and Zapdos rolled her eyes.

Mew softened, and with the desire to please, asked, “About what?”

“I desire my own band of helpers,” Ho-oh said. “It’s not fair that Lugia and I are on the same plane of importance, but he gets a small army while I work alone! I hate it!”

I sealed my fate with what jumped out of my consciousness right then and there. 

“Why would you require assistance?” I asked coyly. “Your job seems very simple. I would think that Lugia could just as easily retain his weather-making for another rotation of Earth, wouldn’t you agree?” 

The legendary birds snickered and Mew shrugged, exasperated. Though I was proud of myself for defending my duties, we both glared at each other. It was true either one of our jobs could have been taken up by another deity, but it was a principle to Mew and a commandment from Father not to overwork anyone and promote teamwork. I always thought it was a good thing Ho-oh and I did not share the same field of work – in the end we might have just killed each other instead. 

I left after I made my point. Ho-oh had no comeback for me. She either decided to ignore my comments, or secretly agree. In any case, I vowed from then on to make friends, not foes, though it seemed to me the making of enemies was never my fault. My place in the universe always seemed to be a big question mark, right from the start. I had a purpose. I know I did. No one could take it away from me, but defending it and constantly making my case was tiring. I also, to this day, will never understand Ho-oh’s initial malevolence towards me. She had never met me, after all, yet she tried her hardest to bring me down. She must have felt insignificant, a real case of inferiority complex. After all, she kept asking for her own flock like Lugia’s to no avail. Being a bully seemed to be in her favor. Maybe it made her feel better about herself to be able to bring down even one of Arceus' children.

However, what was on my mind immediately after leaving was what she had said about Dialga. He had apparently been saying good things about me, even after all the time I remained missing. I tried not to let my feelings persuade me into thinking he must have missed me, even just a little, or that it was only him saying those things. Nevertheless, I wanted to see him. I had been fooling myself that my imagination was enough all this time, but, just the thought that he might actually have fostered a special liking for me was enough for me to slither among the extensive halls of the Universe Castle to find him once again.


	5. Obloquy

As I scoured the halls, not a thought ran through my mind until I finally found Dialga. He was in a dimly-lit hallway all by himself, lonely, his head hung down as he walked slowly. Despite how quietly I floated, he sensed my presence, his long neck seeming to pull his head from his steel-studded feet as he considered the feeling, then arching to turn back to look at me. The shock in his eyes was apparent and his mouth was slightly agape as he searched for words. I drifted closer.

“Giratina?” he said finally. “I haven’t seen you in ages…truly, ages.”

I darted my eyes to the floor, bashful. It was true; I had not left my tower in eons. “I know. I apologize for my long absence.”

“Walk with me?” he asked. I looked up to see him beckoning me with a raised leg pointing further down the hall and I admittedly overreacted. Internally, that is. I suddenly became mute, dumbfounded, and undeserving. Unfortunately, I think he took my flabbergasted look as a practical joke, and corrected himself with a smirk. “Or, float, rather.”

I laughed lightly, feeling comfortable with him, as if hundreds of years did not span the space and time between our last meeting and this one. He continued to walk his initial path, this time his head up and eyes focused in on me by his side.

“So…what have you been doing all this time?” he inquired.

“Just my responsibilities,” I answered. “I know it sounds extreme, but all throughout my absence, I was simply doing my work.”

Though this was the truth for the most part, Dialga inquired further. “Was there an unusually high rate of star death? Was Palkia slacking?”

He was right to ask these questions. After all, it was at this point that I felt alone in my yearning for Dialga. I had never even heard of this feeling; I did not even know if it was supposed to exist! Both Mew and Arceus were the grand creators of all tangible things and even all thoughts. Anything one can imagine, it was their doing, one way or another. Though I had never been told about the other feelings I had experienced up until this point – friendship, jealousy, animosity, confusion, happiness – love was truly all its own entity. So strong was it, that it didn't always manifest in the same way. Some days, I enjoyed it. Other days, it made me ache. I would have thought we would have been informed about this powerful emotion, but, nothing. How was I supposed to explain this to Dialga? What if I were the only one that felt this way? Emotions are merely creation’s residue. What if I was the only one who couldn't ignore it?

“No,” I answered finally after a second of thought. I still didn't want to lie to him. “I just…did not want to come out.”

“Why?” he pressured. “I know that when you went away the Universe was still dark, but you missed seeing it evolve into what it is now. It was actually pretty marvelous.”

“I’m sure it was,” I said softly, lingering in the thought. “I was content with myself for a long while, that’s all.”

I wanted to explain it to him so badly, for no more reason than to quell his curiosity. We had stopped walking, and he stared at me earnestly, knowing I held a secret deep in my heart. I felt, at that moment, that he would understand if I tried to construe what I actually did all that time away. I gave it a shot.

“Do you ever dream awake? Sleep, almost, though you are more aware of your surroundings as you go about a routine?” I asked him, trying my utmost hardest to make this clear.

He smiled at me. “All the time. My mind is light-years away from my body when I walk these endless halls.”

In my mind, I was relieved, but on the outside, I did not let this show. Thinking back to those years I lay on the floor of my room, dreaming up amorous encounters with the dragon that stood before me, twisting my body in excitement, and reveling in my happiness, I felt sadness, knowing that these feelings would probably not be mutual. I just hovered where I was, unable to look him in the face.

“Well, that’s what I was doing after my work was complete,” I admitted. “I just did not want to be disturbed.” 

I felt so selfish for saying it, but Dialga seemed to be pleased he heard the truth. 

“Sounds like a good idea,” Dialga spoke, shattering my self-consciousness. 

“Oh, perhaps not,” I said in response, trying to be less serious. “All those years, I did not get as much exercise as you did.”

He laughed whole-heartedly, stomping his foot in amusement. “I suppose you are right.”

He finished laughing and smiled at me, seeing a friend in me. 

“You know, we should probably spend more time together,” he offered. “We were created at the beginning of it all, but I barely know you. And I have nothing to do, no business anywhere. I’d like to have a friend like you do with Mew, with you.”

I was surprised to hear this. Though I’m sure Mew introduced him to the other deities as they appeared, apparently none of them piqued his interest. Even after all that time, he was still interested in getting to know me more than anyone else who had appeared after the fact. I blushed at the offer, ecstatic that all of my imaginary encounters with him might actually come true. However, I decided to give him what he wanted – a friend. I could do that. 

“Well, that’s…very formal,” I poked fun at him.

He smirked in embarrassment. “It could explain why you’d be my first real friend.” 

I giggled, although I tried to keep it in. He was awkward with this, as if he had never spoken to anyone until this very moment. I would learn it was just his nature. As much as I found him to be smooth and admirable, he was just as clumsy as I was in this situation. I'd learn quickly this clumsiness was all apart of his want to be frank yet patient and kind all in one. “Well, I thought we were already friends.”

"Yes, well..."

We joked like this for a bit more. It was good to let loose a bit, and feel comfortable in my own skin after having just met Ho-Oh. I didn't feel out of place when I was with Dialga. Often forgotten in lore, little more than an after-thought to Father, a general disappointment, and seen as the mistress of evil by all, I have learned to live with the fact that I am unlikable. It's fine. When it all gets too heavy, though, I can always go back to moments like these and remember that there was a time when someone thought nothing but good things about me. When someone thought of me at all.

After we were through poking fun at ourselves, we spoke about the other deities. As I suspected, Dialga had met them all individually already. He had even met Kyogre and Groudon before they went to sleep. Even at conception, it seemed that they hadn't seen eye to eye.

“They’ll wake up again for the Meet and Greet and then go right back, probably,” Dialga said, shrugging his shoulders. They were lucky Arceus had not blinked them out of existence with the mess they had made. 

He had also met Rayquaza more in depth than I had.

“He seems to admire your strength very much. I bet you could make a friend out of him very quickly. Maybe one day we can all spend time together,” Dialga went on. “Just because he lives in Earth’s ozone layer, doesn’t mean he isn’t a “down-to-Earth” guy.”

However, it became apparent, as he spoke about the other deities he met (and sort of introduced their personalities to me) that he had not yet met Ho-Oh.

“No, I’ve actually never spoken to her,” Dialga answered my inquiry about the rainbow bird.

“Well, maybe you’re better off,” I huffed, remembering my encounter with her not too long ago. I grit my teeth just thinking about the audacity she had to speak to me the way she did. I am humble at my core, even now, but the disrespect was simply uncalled for. 

“And why is that?”

“She’s just…rude!” I said, finally finding a word that was appropriate. “And a bit annoying, spoiled, selfish…”

“I’m sure she has some good qualities,” Dialga reassured me.

“Well, she certainly didn’t show them to me.”

“You two probably got off on the wrong foot. I bet if you start over, you’ll be okay.”

I looked up to him, my smile hidden behind my gold plates. One of the most admirable things I learned about Dialga that day was that he saw the good in everyone, with time. With his encouragement, I decided to be the bigger girl, and “start over” with Ho-Oh, as Dialga suggested. It would have made Mew happy, at the very least, and gotten an enemy off my back. 

…

I began to venture the halls again, meeting up with other deities as they went about their business. There eventually came a time when I choked up enough courage to talk to Ho-Oh again. She always looked so angry, but I decided it was just the shape of her eyes. She was always so nice to Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres, that I figured perhaps she had gotten over the fact she did her work alone or maybe she realized she was just one bird in the Weather Flock, as Dialga and I began referring to the group comprised of Lugia, his trio of hens, and Ho-Oh.

I approached her once in the Fountain room as she chirped about some unimportant matter I forget now to Articuno. She stopped when she realized the ice bird was staring at me and turned around, her happy expression turning sour.

“And what do you want?” she asked bitterly. I could already see this was not going to end well, but I went through with it anyway, for the sake of us all.

I tried to be as abrupt and confident as possible. “Look, Ho-Oh, I know we’ve had our differences, and probably got off on the wrong foot. If you’d like, I’d like to start over. I think we could be friends.”

“Well, I don’t think that,” Ho-Oh stated quickly, turning away from me, dismissing the conversation completely. 

Before she could resume her chat with Articuno, who was increasingly looking as if she’d fly away any moment from this disaster waiting to happen, I asked, “Well, why?”

“You said it yourself. We started off on the wrong foot, and that’s the way we’re walking now,” she said a matter-of-factly. It was so irritating, but I kept my composure. “Besides, why would I want to be friends with a little dragon girl, for?”

“Why not?” I asked, truly wanting to hear her miraculous reasoning in having an enemy rather than a friend. 

“Because you’re rude and useless, as far as I can see,” she spat. “We’re all supposed to have jobs in the natural world, and you don’t. I’d say ‘oh! I’m friends with Giratina!’ and not only would the poor sap not even know who I was talking about but then they’d ask ‘oh, what does she do?’ and I’d have to answer ‘nothing at all important. She just spends eons up in her tower’.”

It was at that moment that I aborted all attempts of being friendly with her. I knew from then on that if we ever crossed paths, there would be tension. 

“Oh, you’re right. I suppose if that’s true, we’d have even more in common,” I quipped, hitting her right where it hurt. 

I turned and left, having said what I had to say. Ho-oh, on the other hand, was not finished, and called after me, “Like I said! You’re rude! Go spend another eternity in your tower so that it will be easier to forget you.”

…

I spoke with Dialga about my encounter with Ho-oh later on, and he sighed. 

“I actually met her today,” he told me as we walked one of the dark halls. “She didn’t seem like that at all. In fact, she was a bit..._too_ nice.”

I would later find out exactly how Ho-Oh acted when she did not think I was around. Her haughty personality only disgusted me more, and the more I witnessed her actions around other deities, the more I noticed her trying to inveigle Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres to fly to her side, stroking the egos of the males, and putting down the other females, namely me. When I eventually met Regice, I found a friend I could really rant and rave about how much I disliked Ho-Oh, and Regice would add in her own experiences with the prissy rainbow bird. Luckily for Regice, though, she had her brothers, Registeel and Regirock, to help her when Ho-Oh felt like belittling someone who wouldn’t fight back like I would. Someone who did not see right through her, like I did. 

I chalked her up to be a strong-willed, yet pathetic deity. Her want for her independence from Lugia was troubling and straining Mew, who could not find a use for three more deities under Ho-Oh’s wing. For this, she probably felt very alone, not making the connection that she belonged in Lugia’s flock, not apart from it. And for that, I felt sorry for her, but I would never have gone up to her and made her realize it, for she was, for all intents and purposes, a bully. She put herself on a pedestal by belittling other females of their roles in the world and universe, or cracking down on their character flaws when she possessed so many. When I brought this up to Mew, she shrugged, exasperated. The pink feline was tired of the complicated relations we had all made and had more important things to do.

“I would just ignore her, then,” was Mew’s best advice.

“Why do you think I spend almost all of my time in this tower?” I asked, laying on the floor, defeated. 

“Well, you can’t do that either. It just gives her something to embarrass you about,” she said. “But I am really, really busy coming up with forms to fill all of the complex niches of Earth. You all will have to sort out your problems on your own. I’m sorry, Gira.”

“It’s all right. I just wanted you to know what’s happening so you don’t get too upset.” 

…

I was floating along through the halls one day afterward, when I heard Dialga’s voice, and sped up to catch up to him. Dialga was too friendly and upon passing Ho-oh in the hall, he greeted her, as he always did. However, when I saw how she acted around him, my blood boiled. She curled up to him, her voice nauseatingly honeyed. 

“Hello to you, too, Dialga,” she greeted. "I have met the other dragons of the castle, but I don't think any compare to your might."

"Even Palkia?" he asked, truly perplexed. 

Though I was relieved he backed away somewhat from her advances, seemingly regretting even saying anything to her, I could not help feeling jealous. Why couldn’t I be that confident? Why couldn’t I tell him that I thought he was strong and kind? That I had indescribable feelings for him? Why?   
I hid in the shadows as she continued to bother him, stopping myself from getting between them and saving him. I would have loved to tell her to go away, but the thought of her belittling me in front of Dialga stopped me. 

“Yes," she lied, I'm sure of it. "But, oh, I have a question for you. Something I've been wondering for some time. I’ve seen you hanging around with that gray dragon girl…oh, what’s her name?” She pretended to forget me like an insignificant speck of dust, bringing a long flight feather to the chin of her beak, though I’m sure of every deity at the time, she knew my name best. 

Dialga, oblivious to her antics, filled in for her, “Giratina?”

“Ah, yes, Giratina! I’ve seen you hanging out with her a lot,” she continued. “Why would you associate yourself with such a rude and abrasive girl?” 

“I never found her to have any of those qualities,” Dialga said quietly, confused.

“Oh? You don’t see her come and berate me over my duties? She tortures poor Regice with her boring stories, and Mew can’t stand her!” Ho-Oh lied and lied and lied.

I just stared from the shadows. Why was she doing this? She hadn’t actually come up to me in a long time, so I supposed she had had enough of me being able to stick up for myself. Now, I could see she simply bad-mouthed me behind my back instead. I wondered if she did this with everyone, or if she was specifically targeting Dialga. What did she say to Lugia? To his flock? Had she said these things to Rayquaza too? I was at a loss. At that rate, perhaps everyone in the castle would start avoiding me. 

“Ho-Oh,” Dialga said, his voice becoming stern. “None of that is true. If you know I spend ample time with Giratina, then you should know I probably know her and understand her more than you ever could. Do not spread careless rumors about her, or you and I may not get along, either.” 

I could have cried at that moment with happiness, feeling my heart overflow with bliss. Dialga was my hero, among other proud titles. With his statement said, he turned away from the rainbow bird, and continued down the hall. I smiled, and dissolved further into the shadows, not wanting to let either know I had been spying. 

As I continued down the hall in the opposite direction, a new enemy presented himself as he blocked the way further down.

“What are you doing mindlessly floating the halls? Shouldn’t you be up in the tower taking care of your duties?” Palkia was there, attempting to berate me. I would not take this, not with the certain confidence boost dear Dialga had afforded me, though unknowingly. 

“I have spent eons up in that tower,” I informed him, “And I can assure you, as random as star death appears to others, I feel as though there’s a pattern, and I-”

“I don’t want to hear about your 'feelings', as long as it gets done,” he bellowed, cutting me off.

I became cross. “You’re not my boss, Palkia; we are merely co-workers. What? Are you bored?”

He grit his teeth at me, and I knew then that was one of the problems he had with me. Palkia and I rarely ever spoke, but I still knew I wasn't his favorite dragon. He coveted my duties, as if he weren't already working himself to the bone. “I should be responsible for taking care of all matter, even anti-matter. Why the heck were you even created?”

Now he was hitting my weak point, and through my hurt, I had to wonder why he was only complaining again about this so much time after we were born. 

“I deserve to have that position!” he roared.

“Then you should probably talk to Father about it, not find me and yell at me about it, because I could not care less,” I argued. “Oh, but that’s right. Father already made His decision millennia ago, so I suppose I’m here to stay.”

I suppose Ho-Oh’s attitude was rubbing off on me and I stood my ground. He balled his claws up into fists, and grit his teeth at me even more, “Then get up there and do that job.”

There was nothing to do, though. This wasn’t going anywhere and I was starting to wonder about his intentions as he attempted to get past me, stomping his feet. At first, I thought he was just tired. Of the three of us, Palkia worked the hardest. I would give him that. Unfortunately, crankiness couldn't explain this, so I inquired.

“Why do you not want me around?” I asked. “Has it…”

I started to dig in my memory. Palkia and I had not really spoken since the Universe was created, as I've said, and of course, for all the eons I was gone, we never saw each other. For the times we did, he always seemed unpleasant towards me. 

“Has it anything to do with Dialga?” I asked.

Palkia ignored my question and simply walked past me, grumbling to himself, but I knew I had hit another sensitive spot. I could only imagine the quality time the Dragon duo spent while I was away. However, now that I was back, Dialga spent a lot of time with me. I’m sure that rubbed Palkia the wrong way, but I was too selfish to care at that moment. I really did want Dialga all to myself. 

However, following these events, the torture only continued, and it didn’t take long for the berating from both Ho-Oh and Palkia to break me. Following Mew’s advice, I avoided Ho-Oh, but that also meant that the Fountain Room became a place off limits to me. I couldn't speak with Regice or any of Lugia's flock unless they found me in the halls, which only added to my dejection. The halls themselves were a stressful place to be as well, for Palkia could have been lurking in any one, ready to remind me about my duties, even if I had already spent years stabilizing one or more star deaths. I could always find Rayquaza, Dialga, or Lugia there, but at some point, their company wasn't enough to replace the annoyance and feelings of insignificance that began seeping into my consciousness. There came a group of years where I simply stayed put in my tower, too exhausted to deal with either one of them for some time. 

But I couldn't let myself become too accustomed to laying in bed all day. I couldn't let their words define me and I certainly wouldn’t let them bring me down. Avoidance was cowardice, I concluded. Eventually, after a much shorter time, I came out of hiding and confidently roamed the halls once again. I visited the Fountain room, despite the mocking I heard from Ho-Oh about my dirty gold plates and scales. Nothing would ever be good enough for her, but her words still lingered in me. The thought that I wasn't good enough for anyone was something I felt I was born with; Ho-Oh just groomed it into a festering monster. Even time with Dialga could barely keep it at bay.

“I can’t wait for the Meet and Greet. It’s coming up, Mew told me,” Dialga said in passing at some point during this cruel time period. He had been my protector all a while, but he could not always be there and I actually preferred to stick up for myself. I did not want it to get into their heads that I was a weakling that needed supervision. Even so, I can't always win a losing battle.

“Oh, so it is,” I said quietly, not really wanting to talk about it. I stared out into the black, starry expanse beyond the castle’s window whose sill I rested my head lazily. Dialga was only a few feet from me by the next window to my left. 

“Why so glum?” he asked, picking up on my tired tone of voice.

I answered nonchalantly, “I’m not going to that.”

Dialga was taken aback, twisting his neck so as to look at me squarely. I felt his eyes burning with confusion, and I looked at him sullenly.

“Well…why not?” 

“Because I don’t want to be there to remind Ho-Oh and Palkia to tell all the mortal Pokemon that I’m an evil thing never to be approached.” 

“You think they would do such a thing?”

“I am positive.”

Dialga looked down at his window sill, knowing that I had good reason for thinking this. All Palkia wanted was for me to disappear and Ho-Oh wanted me around to make it seem as if she was more important than one of Arceus’ children. It was maddening. I would have rathered give Palkia what he wanted if it meant taking away from Ho-Oh, but that meant letting her win as well. The only escape would have been to not exist at all. 

“I would like it very much if you came anyway,” Dialga told me, his voice sad and almost pleading. “Though I am acquainted with everyone, and I consider Lugia and Rayquaza very good friends, I…actually consider you, somewhat of a…best friend.”

He seemed to settle begrudgingly on that phrase, as if he saw me as more than even that. But like me, I supposed long after the fact, he just didn’t know the word. It didn’t yet exist. 

I sighed, and seeing that his small pep talk did not really help his case, he pressured me further, “What if I promised to stay by your side the whole time?”

I looked up at him, unsure.

“I’ll make sure they don’t bother you,” he vowed. 

I smiled shyly. Having him near for the duration of the party would have certainly lifted my spirits, no matter how much Ho-Oh and Palkia tried to badger me. I accepted these terms, staring into his ruby eyes adoringly. I did not even realize he had been staring back.


	6. Solo

With every passing year, I felt more and more confident to be a part of the Universe. There were places for me to be, places I could relax without having to worry about Ho-oh or Palkia sneaking up on me. It also came to pass that I wasn't as crazy as I was beginning to think. Those that I hung around with the most besides Dialga didn't seem to understand my enemies any more than I did. 

“There’s just something strange with Palkia,” Rayquaza told me one day as we sat at the Launch Pad. We had coiled in the light of the Great Star, basking in its warmth and talking about Earth. “He’s a loner but we like to invite him to watch the meteor showers on Earth sometimes. I get he sees meteors all the time - and, same - but he just…doesn’t pay any attention to Lugia or me. He’s always trying to get Dialga’s attention.”

I quirked an eyebrow, though I wasn’t truly confused. I always knew Palkia had a soft spot for his brother, and wanted nothing more than to impress him. Even though we were all born at the same time, Palkia acted more like a “little” brother to Dialga, than an equal. If Dialga and I weren't careful, Palkia would butt in and somehow always make me the third wheel. He acted as if Dialga was his only friend, and now I knew for sure he wasn't making the effort to make any more.

“Yeah, now that you mention it, I’ve noticed that, too,” I told Rayquaza. “I always hoped it would wear off, but it seems it never will.”

I shook my head, and Rayquaza giggled. Like Dialga, Rayquaza would tell me often how he enjoyed the time we spent together. Unfortunately for him, though I found him a valuable friend, I didn’t feel as strongly about it. When he said it, I didn’t feel as genuinely happy as when Dialga said it. Still, I enjoyed this time we spent together. No Ho-oh. No Palkia. I could breathe for just a moment before Rayquaza was pulled away for his atmospheric duties. And, yes, it was nice to be well-liked and not merely tolerated.

*

As time ticked ever closer to the Great Meet and Greet, Ho-oh and Palkia appeared more and more, trying in earnest to give me reasons not to attend. I got better at ignoring them, better at standing my ground and letting their words roll off my back like water from a Swanna's feathers. My meetings with Palkia were always the same, as if they were scripted or I had a very bad case of déjà vu. At least I could be prepared for him, though. 

After our first spat, coming in contact with Palkia weren't much to write home about. The pearl dragon would stomp his feet as he passed me in the hall or spotted me at the Launch Pad alone, turn his gaze elsewhere and grumble.

He would mutter under his breath, “Better not see you there.”

And I would say, “Why not?” as if I hadn’t a clue.

He would then whip around, furious. “Because we don’t need you! You have to stay up in your tower and make sure no stars die too close to Earth!”

I would chuckle and reply, “Then I suppose you’ll be on guard duty for pesky asteroids?” 

That would truly ruffle his wings, make him ball his fists, and swing his tail around. Usually he’d just walk away defeated, but one day, that didn’t happen. Instead he stood his ground, got right up in my face and grit his teeth, “Actually, it’s because no mortal wants to meet the goddess of evil and death.” 

My mouth was agape, but no words came out for a few seconds. This was truly unlike Palkia to come up with lies on the spot. As much as we disliked each other, I respected Palkia in that he was simple - not in an unintelligent way, but unpretentious. He knew what he wanted, and instead of beating around the bush, lying, and coming up with complex excuses, he’d simply tell it to your face, no matter how insulting it might sound. In all the years we had been getting under each other’s scales, never once did Palkia say something to only be mean. His comments were usually rude out of his wanting his way, and he was obviously new at the game, for it only took me a second after the shock to retaliate.

“Oh, so, now I’m the ruler of death, too? Says who? Mew never said anything about it,” I quipped sarcastically. 

“Well, think about it,” he said, gesturing in my direction, an invitation to do as he suggested. “You’re the goddess of antimatter, which is the opposite of matter. You know what happens when the two come together, right?”

“They both disappear,” I answered, not amused. Little did he know that I had been close enough to Dialga for us to touch, and so his theory crumbled when I tapped him on the head with my tail. “Doesn't seem to apply here, though. I guess that solves that problem."

And like all other times, as I floated away, Palkia was left grumbling with balled fists and gritted teeth. 

…

Though I should have taken my strange encounter with Palkia with a grain of salt, I forgot about it quickly. I was more concerned about where I was going than the things plaguing me in my past.  
I was heading to a part of the castle that was seldom visited. This particular hallway was dark and out of the way if one wanted to go to the Fountain Room, Arceus’ chambers, or the Launch Pad to Earth. As I ventured deeper, memories of a younger Universe invaded my mind with thoughts of a simpler time when strife was not yet something I owned, and calm quiet swept across the tiles like a breeze. It was a cold place, lost in time, but it was comforting for me, as well as for Dialga. As I approached the hall’s only stretch of windows, I could see the diamond dragon there waiting for my arrival. Despite how forgotten this section of the castle was, it was the best for star-gazing. At night, the windows faced the most spectacular constellations and gave the best view of every meteor shower that visited the Earth below.

These meetings of ours were secret – neither Lugia nor Rayquaza knew of them. We were simply alone in a place only we knew of. These encounters came to be simply by accident. It came to pass that the hallway brought us back to simpler times, and the time we spent here began as idle chatting space, somewhere not even Palkia would think to look. As we got to know each other more and more, the awkwardness in our tones faded and soon the talking minimized to nods and smiles. We would test each other, getting closer, brushing up against one another more, until sitting apart was a foreign way to be. 

This night was not unlike all the others. As I approached, I quietly greeted him, the lights turning on in our eyes. I nuzzled up to him, our crowns meeting. Life in the castle wasn’t easy for either of us. Those meetings and our feelings had to be kept secret if we intended to keep Palkia and Ho-oh at bay. We didn’t want rumors. We didn’t want taunting or questions. We just wanted peace, alone, with one another. 

In the light of millions of stars, the quiet hallway echoed with our giggles, but never gave us away. As I cuddled closer to him, I felt as though I could be at ease. I could melt and shed my tough outer exterior enough to allow him in. He nibbled at my neck gently and surrounded me with his thick front legs. He clutched me tighter as we fell into our normal positions, and my heart skipped a beat as a heavy sigh pressed his chest close to mine. 

The strangest part about these meetings is that feelings were never spoken about; no long and painful explanation about what was happening here was exchanged. It just so happened that my undying thirst for his embrace was returned whole-heartedly. Whenever we caught each other’s glance, we would stop suddenly, hearts still racing, breathing still heavy, and exchange a silent understanding about what these feelings really were. 

The best part about the whole ordeal is that the hallways acted as a second dimension, and we were never discovered. 

Unfortunately, all deep dark secrets get out one way or the other, and I could understand why. From an outsider’s point of view, my friendship with Dialga was not like any other friendship in the castle. For one, we were the only ones whose best friend was of the opposite planetary calling, for which we now understand as gender. On top of that, the way we interacted was closer and inadvertently more affectionate. Thankfully, most of the other deities chalked it up to be nothing more than a brother caring for his sister, not that we were those things in the conventional sense. All except one, of course, could let it go.

“Oh, ladies, there she is. The dragon girl who associates with Mars,” Ho-oh would laugh and shout, every time I drifted into the Fountain Room against my better judgement. I would say nothing as I joined Regice for a cool, wake-up bath. I had decided long ago that I would not be chased out of places just because Ho-oh was there. It became easier to manage as I discovered most everyone couldn't stand her, even Lugia's Flock, her main audience. 

“Just ignore her,” Regice would say. “She’s just jealous of you because you’re so pretty and she’s not.” 

The little iceberg was always so sweet, but I also knew that she was doing her best to make me her best friend. It made sense. Besides Lugia’s Flock, and Mew, most of the other deities were male, and often congregated by the Launch Pad. Cresselia was a familiar face in the Fountain Room, and though she probably would have made a better friend to Regice than me, she wanted nothing to do with any of us. It wasn’t that she didn’t want friends, but Ho-oh’s boisterous attitude probably scared the lunar swan away. Cresselia did not want to be friends with Ho-oh, but she also did not want to be on the other end of her taunting, which was where Regice and I called Hell. I would also learn many centuries later that she had forged a relationship with Darkrai, much like the one I had with Dialga, so it’s really no surprise she kept herself quiet and separate from all the other females all those years.

“I don’t know about you girls, but I certainly don’t want a girl like that overhearing what we talk about!” Ho-oh continued from across the room. “She’ll just go and spread the gossip at the Launch Pad, where she really hangs out!” 

The rest of Lugia’s Flock nodded in nervous agreement, and they hung on every word that came out of Ho-oh’s beak. Over the centuries, Ho-oh had turned Lugia’s Flock into her own. Lugia would often complain about this, but eventually he found as long as he had complete command, it didn’t bother him what his harem did on the side. 

Regice turned towards Ho-oh, and motioned her stubby arm up and down to shoo Ho-oh away. Though she lacked much of a face, Regice did her best to scowl at the rainbow bird. 

“It’s all right,” I murmured to the iceberg, scrubbing my golden plates with my tail spikes. “I have dealt with this for millennia, and the best course of action is to make no action at all.” 

I shook off the excess water, and attempted to leave the Fountain Room, floating out of the entrance as silently as I had come in. Unfortunately, Ho-oh had overheard me, and she was not one to be taken lightly. Full of herself, she stopped me in the hall.

“I will not be ignored,” she growled at me from behind. 

I answered against my own judgment, “What else do you expect of me? I will not sit down and cry as you make a mockery of me. I am above petty bickering.”

Ho-oh chuckled, and though I tried not to let her see it, this made me uneasy. She squinted her eyes at me with a malevolent smirk. 

“Oh, so you think you’re unlike the rest, do you?” she challenged me, “You think I can’t bring you down?” 

“You have in the past,” I admitted. “But with time comes strength. I’m tired of your trivial arguments and undying need to be on top. If you want to push someone around, I will not be a scapegoat for it.”

We glared at each other. I was prepared to demonstrate to her how much I knew about her, even if she herself didn’t realize it. 

“So, you know me so well, but,” she lingered and waited until I was hooked to continue. “I know you just as well.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. You’re a loner and no matter how many friends you have, the truth is, you’re only interested in one,” she read me like a book. “I know what you’re up to with Dialga.”

“Really? Do you, now?” I asked nonchalantly. I could tell she was just trying to scare me. Dialga and I were aware deities had their opinions on what we were, but no one could possibly know the extent to which our friendship went. 

“I do, actually,” she assured. “And I’ll let everyone know about your bizarre relationship.”

I tried to brush it off, “How bizarre could it be? So, we are each other’s best friend. We may be of opposite planets, but-”

She cut me off, “Oh, it is bizarre! I see the way you two act around each other. How you stare, how close you get to one another, how you touch. It is more than just an innocent sibling bond, and it is well beyond a friendship.”

I growled at her. Of everyone to question the facade we attempted, it had to be her. I suppose I should not have expected any less. Ho-Oh was desperate to get dirt on me, and she probably watched me very closely, looking for anything unusual she could bring up in her gossip. 

“So, what do you think it is?” I asked her, knowing full well that no one had been informed as to what a relationship like the one I shared with Dialga was. 

Furrowing her brow so that a lump of feathers stood up against her hard beak, she said with a sigh, “I haven’t a clue, and Mew was no help. She’d do anything to protect you.”

I smirked, having defeated my foe once again. Ho-oh didn't like that one bit.

“Don’t think you’re out of the storm, yet, dragon girl,” she hissed. “If you’d like to keep things the way they are, you’d better not show your ugly face at the Meet and Greet. No mortal wants to meet the goddess of death, I’ll have you know.”

That sounded familiar. It seemed Ho-oh was switching gears; now she didn't want me around. I shook my head, “Why does the Meet and Greet mean so much to you? Why are you trying to keep me away from it? You even have Palkia working for you!”

“I’m not admitting anything to the likes of you,” she said. “But if you need a hint, I hate you and I don’t think anyone else should have to be in contact with you.”

I rolled my eyes. Well, of course that was the depth of the reason. Though it was apparent Palkia didn’t want my attendance for fear that some may question why he can't handle all of the work associated with matter, for Ho-Oh the reasoning wasn’t so deep. It was petty loathing on her part, for the simple fact that, unlike all of the other deities, I didn’t bend to her will. I saw through her and exposed her, and she hated it. To her misery, the Meet and Greet would be an ample place for mortals to see her true colors and mine. Her vanity had gone to her brain the moment she popped into existence. She was an attention seeker, above all things and she knew the mortals would be more interested and give more attention to Arceus’ children, the ones who control all basic aspects of their world, than to the bird that seldom made rainbows for them. That was the one and true reasoning, even if she never admitted it. 

Now that she had a leg up on me, though, she felt like she was in control, and she was half right. It was true no one could describe what Dialga and I had, so her threats were pretty meaningless. On the other hand, I didn’t need to deal with the strange looks. I didn’t want people to start reevaluating what they thought was going on with us. I simply wanted to be left alone, but that could never be. Not with Ho-Oh breathing down my neck. 

I turned to float away, attempting to leave the assumption that I would or would not attend the Meet and Greet up in the air. Ho-Oh stared after me, waiting for an answer I wouldn’t give. 

“You better not show up if you know what’s good for you,” she hissed. 

I didn’t answer.

I did, however, float straight to my tower, and to my relief, Mew appeared from the window. She looked happy to see me, and plopped down on my back as I lay curled up on the floor. 

“I haven’t seen you in ages!” she started, folding her short leg over the other. She lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling with her arms folded and acting as a head rest. She hummed as if she were finally at peace. I didn't feel like I was, though. 

“At least I’ve made more friends,” I said to her. “You had been so busy; I didn’t want to bother you.”

“I was busy,” she said distantly. She jumped up, her voice becoming bubbly as if she couldn't contain her excitement anymore. “But not anymore! I’m all done!”

I was shocked. Mew had been working for eons, to the point where I thought her work would never be done. I craned my neck to look at her and she beamed. I softened.

“So, I suppose that means the big Meet and Greet thing is right around the corner,” I said, though I don’t know why. It was the last thing I wanted to talk about. 

“Yes! It’s very soon,” Mew told me. “In fact, that’s why I’m here! I’ve been going around telling everyone that it’s in two rotations of the Earth and we’ll be having it in Arceus’ Great Hall.”

I swallowed. So much for having time to decide on whether I was going to appear at it or not. Two Earth days were barely just two seconds to me. 

After a small pause, I asked, cautiously, “Is Arceus making it a mandatory event?”

Mew cocked her head and looked at me hard, confused at the question. “I didn’t think he needed to say.”

I sighed. It was time to buckle down and make Mew a female friend I could entrust my secrets to. “You know I have been having trouble with Ho-Oh, right?”

Mew nodded, but then said, “Wait, I thought you tried to make amends with her.”

“The key word there is ‘tried’,” I said, exasperated. “She wouldn’t hear of it, and I’ve been taking the brunt of her never ending torment ever since.”

Mew winced, probably feeling as though she could have done more to help me. What she or anyone could have done is still beyond me, though. Ho-Oh was capable of doing anything to ruin me, inside and out, to my face and behind my back. There was no reasoning with her; Ho-oh wanted to hate me.

“And now, she and Palkia have made it their top priority to get me not to go to the Meet and Greet,” I explained.

“That’s ridiculous!” Mew quickly responded. “She can’t force you to-”

I cut her off, “And then she can. Apparently my friendship with Dialga is much too bizarre for her or anyone obtuse enough to listen to her.” 

“Well,” Mew started, deep in thought. “Is it?”

I sighed in frustration. I was immediately regretting bringing this up. “Yes…no…I don’t know! Our friendship is different, but I don’t see how it’s anyone’s business.”

Mew didn't respond. I suppose she thought I would elaborate, her big blue eyes staring back at me, waiting.

I began again after a long sigh. “When I’m with Dialga…it’s a different experience than when I’m with Rayquaza, or Regice, or Lugia. I feel freer. But even before we started spending time together, all I ever wanted was to be near him. I didn't think that was strange, but apparently it is.” 

Thinking back to those days when I would dream about the amorous times I eventually had with Dialga, a slight and soft smile spread across my face. Such nostalgia overcame me, for I felt as though all of this bliss would end soon. We could not be as long as I had enemies. I giggled half-heartedly at how ridiculous and how hopeless I had become. “It came to be that…he felt the same way,” I ended my confession. 

Mew nodded. “Yes, I knew all that.” 

My eyes grew wide. “Then…why…why didn’t you say something?”

She chortled, “It’s so much healthier for you to say it out loud!”

“Yes, true, maybe,” I said in a panic. “But I spent the last millennium confused about these feelings…which I still can’t describe, thank you very much.”

“You and Dialga are in love with each other,” Mew explained, in a dreamy sort of way as she lay back down with her arms folded under her head. She was obviously enjoying this. “You have been since the universe began, though I don’t think Arceus intended for it to happen.”

I gulped. It was exactly as I feared. 

“How did you know?” 

“I’m psychic, remember?” she joked. “But, one doesn’t need to be psychic to notice it between you two. There was always this force of fate pulling you together, and that was something I found truly unique and inspiring. Despite all of the uncertainty, the intense want for the other…love is bliss. So, it’s something I instilled in all Mortal Pokemon, with Arceus’ approval of course. It will allow them to enjoy life to the fullest, and fill the Earth with their kind.” 

Though Mew’s take on it and inspiration was truly interesting, I still couldn’t get over the fact that my feelings had a name this whole time. For all I had been through, love was not just a term, it was a state of being, and my entire existence had been enthralled in it. 

“But, like I said,” Mew interrupted my thoughts. “I don’t know if Arceus intended for us deities to feel that way. He seemed to only see a use in it if it meant enticing mortals to proliferate. Deities have no need to proliferate. He may just find it useless and an obvious distraction.”

I sighed, frustrated and helpless. Everything Mew was saying were things I had already thought about. 

“I honestly don’t want to lose this,” I told her at last.

“I know, but Arceus also doesn’t want anything to go wrong at the event,” Mew informed me. “You should tell him about Ho-Oh and Palkia. Perhaps he can-”

“You know I don’t want to do that,” I said sternly. “Either way, I lose in this mess, which is, excuse my immaturity, unfair! I haven’t done anything wrong, yet I will undoubtedly have the most precious thing to me taken away.”

“It’s the only way to get past the Meet and Greet without any hiccups,” she urged. “You don't have to tell Him about your relations with Dialga. I didn't tell Him where I got the idea from. But, perhaps he can straighten Ho-oh and Palkia out.”

Despite my selfishness and best efforts to think of excuses, I eventually agreed with Mew. I knew she was right. 

*

The very next morning, as the Universe castle passed between the Earth and the Great Star, I quickly made my way to Arceus’ chamber, located in the middle of the castle, an offshoot from the main hall where Mew and I first met. I was careful not to engage in any chitchat with friends, and took great care to slip into the shadows and sneak past Palkia and Ho-Oh’s notice. 

As I entered Arceus’ main chamber, I became nervous. I hadn’t spoken to my Father in eons. There was never any need, and I was, even at that point, too proud to admit I needed help. Like my Father, I truly wanted this event to go off without a hitch. Despite what really happened, I wanted to enjoy the party, converse with mortals, and make everyone see I wasn’t the monster my enemies made me out to be.  
Arceus’ main chamber was open to all – no doors closed off access to Him, yet I still felt as if I didn’t belong there. The room inside was large, but contained; unlike the Great Hall He called us to to discuss the early workings of the Universe eons ago, this room had a roof, and it was dark inside, save for the light of the Great Star that was able to come through the open doorway. I noticed Arceus floating inside, meditating. His plates circled him, and He was concentrating, on what, I’ll never know. Feeling as though I was about to disturb Him, I made the motion to turn away and forget the whole thing. Come what may, I decided. Unfortunately, He knew I had been there, and spoke to catch me mid-slink. 

“Is there a problem, my daughter?” Arceus asked with a nuance of exasperation in his sigh. 

“Father,” I bowed to him. “Yes, there is. For many years, I’ve been tormented by Ho-Oh, and I fear our differences may negatively impact the Great Meet and Greet.” 

“Is that so?” Arceus opened his eyes. “Funny thing. Ho-Oh was just here herself and said the same of you.”

I gulped as He approached closer, and squinted His eyes in scrutiny. 

“Excuse me, Father, but she is a liar,” I tried, to ultimately no avail. “Both she and Palkia, for the past millenia, have tried everything in an attempt to force me to skip out on the event.”

“Well, we can’t have that. You must attend. And you will not cause uproar at this event,” Arceus said, as if he hadn't heard a word out of my mouth.

I shook my head in disbelief. This couldn’t be happening. “Father, I’m afraid that if I go, the two of them will introduce me to the mortals as a goddess of death. They will try to make everyone afraid of me.” 

“Giratina,” He started, His patience running thin. “You are my child, and Ho-Oh is of Mew. You cannot put yourself on her level for it is lower than yours. You are _her_ deity. Do not waste your time on her, for she is not as strong as you.” 

Though His words were encouraging, it became apparent to me that Arceus truly knew none of us. We were acquaintances at best. Although it was flattering that He believed I was infinitely stronger and more respectable than Ho-Oh could ever dream to be, it was obvious that notion had no foothold in reality. Though I always hated to admit it, Ho-Oh was much more persistent and cunning than I. I was her prey as she hunted my weaknesses. 

I nodded to my Father, giving up on what was always a pipe dream that He’d step in and help me. I was on my own, as always.


	7. Quietus

I wish things had not panned out the way they had. For millennia, I have dreamt that I had not been so rash. I suppose feelings die down after so many years, though I could never blame myself for what I did. It’s not as if I figured I could do no wrong, but when anyone is put under that kind of pressure, something has to give. 

The Great Meet and Greet was supposed to be a sort of ball or reception for all the representatives of the mortal Pokemon to personally meet every deity and learn their true purpose and essence. They were to learn what we did to make their lives the way they were so that they could properly worship us and call on us should any problems arise. I expected the party to go off without a hitch, actually. I expected my Father to talk with Ho-oh or Palkia and nothing would go wrong after all. Oh how horribly naive I was! 

As the Great Star’s yellow beams lay to rest on the Universe Castle, I stirred from my sleep. The bright light hit my eyes and I awoke as excitement filled my chest. Finally. We could get this thing over with, I thought as I shook sleep from my eyes. My room harbored no door, for I simply phased through the walls on a normal day. However, today was different. I approached the wall, thinned my very matter and attempted to cross over, only to hit my face on the brick and mortar. I became even more transparent and tried again, only to fail once more. I tried to phase through the floor, but the result was the same. Over and over again, I tried to escape. I was beyond enraged at this point, and returned to my normal density. I gritted my teeth. I knew exactly who was responsible for this, the only one in existence who could change the matter of walls to a density that not even a ghost could penetrate – Palkia, and most likely with the idea from Ho-oh. I had to get out somehow, though. I knew at this point the event had started and Dialga would be waiting for me, unaware of my imprisonment. If I did not appear, Arceus would be cross with me. So, I did the next best thing.

Lifting my heavy, spiked tail I whipped it around and smacked the wall with a great deal of force. It cracked, but remained strong. Again and again I whacked the wall with my tail, my spikes leaving gaping holes in the bricks each time. Despite the fact its density was other-worldly, it was much more brittle than I expected. With one last hit, I broke free, sending bits of brick crashing down onto a roof below. I watched as the incredibly dense chunk of rock penetrated through the castle as if it were made of sand, crashing through down to the tile and causing a racket. I could not be bothered with repairing it – Arceus would have to understand and make Palkia clean up the mess he made. 

I slithered out of my room and towards the Great Hall where the Meet and Greet was taking place. I was thankful to have freed myself, but more irate with Palkia and Ho-oh than I had ever been in my life. I had always taken Ho-Oh’s taunting about the Great Meet and Greet as an empty threat. It always seemed to me that she did it simply to make me feel small, to no avail. So, it comes as no surprise that, along with my frustration, I was also hit off-guard. 

As I made my way to Arceus’ Great Hall, I grit my teeth harder and harder thinking of all the different ways I could physically harm Ho-Oh or Palkia. My rage was out of control. I phased through the wall nearest the Great Hall, half-expecting to hit my face on the bricks as I did before. Fortunately, I got through without difficulty, and quickly zoomed towards the reception, my rage having ignited into an inferno. I was so angry I felt as though I could not get there fast enough. 

Through my outrage, I could still hear the party beginning. The sound of rushing water, perhaps from a new fountain created just for the occasion, gushed over purified metal. The chatter of hundreds of alien voices echoed through the halls. My guess was that the Mortals were already there and had made themselves at home. I heard cheering and whistling as a great voice announced something about Regice and her brothers. I imagined the Pokemon that shared their elements felt a great kinship to them in some way; that they were represented in the council of deities. Thoughts like this sadden me now, for I am the only deity of the ghost element, and I am known for such horrible things. 

My pace had slowed as I listened to the voices. Somehow this far-off bliss quieted my anger and turned it into utter loneliness and an acceptance that maybe my harassers were right about me all along. It was not obvious to me that anyone even realized I was missing, let alone infuriated, upset, or worried I had not yet shown myself. Everyone was having a good time, and not even those I considered friends had asked anyone to hold the party on my behalf or send someone to see what was taking me so long to arrive. Nothing. Another eruption of cheers slowed my pace to a full stop. I listened intently, my gaze now at the floor. It was then that Ho-Oh had already won, as I coiled my tail into a base and thought about how she was right – no one wanted to meet me. I was the outcast, in every fiber of my being. The very matter that made me was different from everyone else in that room. I was defeated. I was forgotten.

As I turned to head back to my room – no use feeling sorry for myself in a dark hallway – the sudden sound of flat, silver-tipped feet thudding against the tiles in a gallop stopped me. 

“Gira!” his voice beckoned. The gallop slowed, and Dialga approached me out of breath. “Is this where you’ve been the whole time? Why not join us in the Great Hall?” 

My snake-like body arched around so that I could face him, but still with every intention of slinking back to my room like a good little victim. I squinted at him, my mouth slightly open in a confused manner, my feelings of betrayal still haunting me. How dare he ask why I had not joined them…after all I have been through just this morning! 

His face softened, somehow reading all of my pain off my stare. “I was worried when everything started and you still hadn’t shown up. Mew and I couldn’t get anyone to postpone it, but, then again, I also didn’t think you were too far away…”

His voice trailed off. He probably felt as though there was more he could have done, even in all the confusion. I had already forgiven him. After all, not even I had expected Palkia or Ho-Oh to go to such extremes to keep me from the reception. As I explained to him what had happened, how I had been imprisoned in my own room, with only Palkia to blame, his eyes widened in disbelief. 

He shook his head and concluded, “Well, I’m glad you were able to get out – you’re not down yet. Don’t let them have their way with you. Come to the Meet and Greet; it will do you some good. The ghost Pokemon want to meet you!”

“And risk _them_ mortifying me in front of all the mortals?” I cried, my voice and my resolve buckling under all the stress I had ever endured in this ongoing conflict. I was finally breaking, finally snapping. Everything was collecting into a single point - Palkia's words, Ho-Oh's sneers, everyone else's stares and inaction, Father's carelessness...it was becoming too much. I couldn't be strong anymore.

But Dialga, ever stern and ever my rock, said calmly, “If they are going to say terrible things about you, they will do it whether you are there to witness them of not. You might as well be there to defend yourself.”

I lowered my gaze at this logic, for I had lost all of mine. It was more suitable to me to let the rumors spread, as horrible and inaccurate as they were, than simply be there to hear them from their familiar sources. I was unbearably selfish unto myself. I deserved my own defense, and I would not give it for fear of emotional sting. I was pitiful, pathetic, and full of flaws. Maybe Ho-Oh had reason to hate me? Perhaps the bird saw me as full of myself as I had always perceived her. Everyone in between just had to choose who was more tolerable. Perhaps Cresselia was the only one with a head on her shoulders. I hated myself so much in that moment. Even beyond my gold mask, I'm sure the hurt was now so visible in my red eyes. They broke me.

“I love you,” Dialga murmured as he wrapped his front leg around my thin body. My face contorted in confusion. I wanted to ask him why - why the hell love someone as ridiculous, abrasive, and pathetic as me? - but my voice had abandoned me. He did not read it that way, though. He became bashful, “Mew said you’d know what that meant.”

Through my self-pity, a chuckle broke through. That was Dialga – awkward but true to himself and others. He'd do whatever he thought was needed. 

“I’m guessing I’m doing something right?” he asked, a hopeful smile eradicating his wistful demeanor from before. 

“I love you, too,” I said, “but I can’t promise you we’ll be together for long after this. I don’t know what I’ll do…what they'll say, or how Father will react…”

“No,” he cut me off, “I will make sure that nothing bad happens. This is supposed to be fun.”

Looking into his ruby eyes with a meek smile, I shook my head and said, “I know you will try.” 

…

Dialga led me to the Great Hall, not too far from where we had been standing. We squeezed into the room, attempting to be as inconspicuous as two dragons can be. My brow was furrowed with worry and I swallowed nervously as we tried to find Mew. The hall was brimming with life. Everywhere I turned, there was a Pokemon I had never seen or heard of before. Refreshments had been made, and laid out perfectly as a sort of buffet. Every type of berry was present, and snacks made from them adorned the tables lining the walls of the Great Hall. It all looked so delicious. The other deities were scattered among the crowd, speaking with representatives of various species. Across the room, next to a refreshment table, I caught a glance of Regice as she spoke with a Sneasel and Snover. Turning my head again, I noticed Rayquaza laughing whole-heartedly with Lugia and a group of bird Pokemon. Even Kyogre and Groudon had been awoken for the party, even if they stood at opposite sides of the wide room. It was then my old self came back. If two sworn enemies like those two could get along for this shin-dig, Ho-Oh and I could, too. 

I could tell Dialga noticed me. He probably could tell that the tension and agitation from before was slowly leaving me and I could relax. Unfortunately, my mind was still plagued with thoughts of getting even with my enemies. I couldn't shake it. Nothing had ever worked in the past; neither peace nor a lack of attention seemed to stop them on their quest to get under my scales. Even as I tried to feel like just another Pokemon in a sea of my own kind, the ever looming realization that I was fundamentally different than everyone else was still haunting me. 

It was at that precise moment, of course, that Palkia took the stage. He tapped a claw on his armor, making a klinking sound loud enough for everyone in the room to turn around and look up at him. Thousands of eyes would be watching what came next; an infinite number of minds would forever remember it as well.

“It has just come to my attention that my wonderful brother and sister have finally arrived to our special Meet and Greet,” he said, extending a clawed paw in our general direction. 

I was wary. Dialga was hopeful.

“Of course, that loud crashing before was my lovely sister, Giratina, destroying parts of the castle, as she sometimes does,” Palkia jabbed at me. On stage. For every mortal to hear.

I stood frozen. So, it was not just a ruse to make me late to the ball – it was a plot to make a direct attack on my character with proof. However, I was not one to give up. Dialga was right – I was here to defend myself. I deserved that much.

“I do no such thing on a normal basis! You take that lie back this instant!” I growled. I was losing my cool, and becoming frantic, though. I was no longer the composed, level-headed girl I had strained to be all these years. I was not prepared, already caught off-guard, and I had no wit at that moment to battle with him. All I could do was bark at him to quit his torment. Palkia would not let up, though. It was as if he had received training from a certain bird I had only known as an enemy. 

“Oh, please, sister, that makes no sense when it’s precisely your room that’s been destroyed this fine evening,” Palkia went on.

Before I could whine further, Dialga stepped in. “Brother, knock off this nonsense this instant. Giratina is of the ghost element – she can phase through walls very easily, as I’m sure the other ghost Pokemon can attest to.” 

He arched his neck around so as to search the crowd for supporters of his claim. A Haunter and a Sableye visibly nodded in agreement. 

“If Giratina could not phase through her walls then she had no choice but to break them, and it is only you that -”

Palkia cut him off swiftly, “Ah yes, but her violence is evident, as she is the harbinger of death, after all. The representative, if you will.”

With this blunt statement, my fate was sealed. A frightened gasp escaped from every mortal throat in the room, and it felt as if the entire castle tilted under the weight of every one of them as they moved away from me. They stared, their eyes full of fear, as if at any moment, I may swallow their Mew-bestowed soul and take it to some other-worldly realm. As if a maniacal laugh were to erupt from my bosom, and admit that yes, I was evil incarnate, how do you do? 

“Yes, the grim reaper, the -” Palkia began to reap in the fear, but Dialga put his silver-studded foot down, cracking the elegant tiles underneath. 

Dialga roared, “Brother, I had asked you to stop these lies! And you have gone against my wishes!” 

“Okay, then tell us, Giratina, what is your sovereign duties to the Pokemon before us today?” Palkia was challenging me, and I could feel Ho-oh somewhere in the crowd just waiting to take advantage of what I had to say next.

I was finally given the floor, and Palkia waited patiently for me to dig my own grave. But I was naive. I floated closer to the crowd as they cowered in fear. I was livid, but I gathered my strength and began to speak as softly as I could muster, feeling hopeful that I could right my sullied public image. “I am the guardian of the Reverse World.”

But Palkia would not even let me finish. “Yes, yes, the sole operator and resident of the Reverse World, a universe very unlike this world, the one I had forged. It is a world that if any of you mortals were to visit it, you would be vaporized immediately.” 

The mortals gasped again, and jumped back. I was officially a monster in their eyes. I could see then that there was no changing their minds about me. Trying to explain my duties was hard enough to describe to other deities, and I was sure my voice would be tuned out in favor of shivering in terror. This was all Palkia’s fault, and his alone. I honestly do not believe that if it had been Ho-oh up there, the mortals would have believed her so easily. No, it was Palkia’s relation to me, the fact that we were celestial siblings, and somewhat like two sides to the same coin, that his take on me was so powerful. So powerful, in fact, that it could override my own take. I suppose if I were evil, I’d never admit it to a crowd of prey, and so, that day, Palkia put himself on a pedestal close to our Father, and put me in Hell.

I grit my teeth, seething in rage; my actions that followed are ones I’m only regretful of in retrospect. I had always been independent, and despite my sorrow and self-doubt I had exhibited in front of Dialga just minutes before, I had always been there for myself. So, it was no surprise, after being put over the edge, I attacked Palkia. Summoning all of the dark energy my anger had conjured up, I focused it within my mouth as a tight, glowing ball that I spit at my brother. Even though I was angry, this show of aggression was merely a slap on the back of the head for my brother. It was simply to show him I had had it with him. Dialga stood perfectly still, mouth agape as he turned his head towards Palkia.

Another round of gasps filled the room as I bared my sharp fangs at him, growling. Palkia took this as an opportunity to release his own frustrations with me, collecting energy between his palms and launching it towards me. Without thinking, I became transparent, and the Aura Sphere went right through me, crashing into the tiles and sending sharp shards in every direction. It was then pandemonium broke out in the Great Hall, as mortals ran for their lives and attempted to escape the premises. The other deities assisted in shielding them, as I disappeared completely, reappearing behind Palkia and tackling him off the stage. My Shadow Force had hit him with so much power he had tumbled across the floor until hitting the far wall. The wall cracked, and bits of rock fell to the floor. Now Palkia was angry. 

In the eyes of the crowd, I was the bad guy, the evil one that needed to be contained. Palkia was their hero, doing just that. From the corner of my eye, I could see Ho-oh as she helped to shield the mortals from Palkia’s and my onslaught. She smirked at me before turning her head and giving her full attention to the Mortals. Just like Palkia, she had used me to bolster her own image. Forever more, Palkia and Ho-oh would be known on Earth as saviors – it was all part of the plan.

Palkia got up and shook off the rock from his back. His mouth contorted into a snarl, and his voice had transformed into a deep growl. He summoned another Aura Sphere, this time holding it in his paws as he came at me with incredible speed. I hissed, and prepared to become transparent again. Having had enough of watching, Dialga roared, and placed himself between us.

It happened so quickly that Palkia could not stop himself, and forced his Aura Sphere directly into Dialga’s shoulder. Like a mountain, Dialga took the hit and remained standing, even with Palkia’s claws dug into his flesh. Dialga growled heavily as he bared his fangs, the sound originating deep in his chest and vibrating in his throat. Palkia bared his fangs as well, becoming more furious as he realized he was on the wrong side of this confrontation. The brother he had tried so hard to impress and become best friends with was on my side and he now finally grasped the concept. I hissed from behind Dialga, gearing up for an all out war. 

It’s really too bad we were interrupted. I think a lot of good and understanding could have come out of it. It is the Dragon way, after all, when all else fails. 

From His private chamber, Arceus made His grand appearance. Glowing as His white fur reflected the Great Star’s rays, He dazzled everyone in the room. Every mortal and deity bowed down immediately, their faces almost touching the porcelain tiles. Everyone but Palkia, Dialga, and me, that is. We were still too riled up and angry to move anything but our heads to acknowledge His almighty presence.

“What is all this noise?” Arceus demanded. “First I hear the sounds of castle walls crumbling and then I hear this all out brawl. What do you three think you’re doing?”

Our Father was beside himself, pacing and shaking His head violently, His voice getting louder with each question. 

“I can explain, Father,” Palkia piped up. My eyes widened; my doom was near.

“Yes, Palkia, explain how my three children ruined the first ever gathering of deity and mortal,” Arceus gibed.

Palkia put his hands together, Dialga’s blood still staining his claws. “Well, as far as the first sound goes, that’s all Giratina. She destroyed her tower.”

Dialga growled, “Palkia, that’s not the whole story and you know it!”

Arceus turned His attention to me. I was surprisingly calm. So jaded from the battle and the endless torment I had endured for millenia, I simply stared back at God. Dialga, on the other hand, was still fighting for me. “Tell him the truth!” 

“Oh, and Giratina also hit me first. I was just defending myself,” Palkia added.

“Liar!”

Dialga and Palkia butted heads and would have begun their fight once more if Arceus had not spoken to me in such a sweet tone of voice.

“Giratina, is that all true?” He asked, His voice almost inaudible. 

I sighed, “Yes.” There was no use lying here. I figured honesty was my best defense here. 

“But I can explain-” I started, but Arceus fired up again and cut me off.

“There is no excuse for this insolence!” 

“But if you would just listen to me…”

“No! You are the one who should have listened! You have been nothing but trouble, nothing but anti-social, and unwilling to be a part of our greater collective!” Arceus raged.

Each insult came like a nail dug into me. My own Father did not even believe in my worth. What he had said days ago were just lip service. Merciless and in a fit, He simply wanted nothing else than to scold someone, and who better than me? Who better than the child he should have devoured before the birth of the universe?

“Father, none of that is true. If you’d just listen,” Dialga tried, but Arceus was too far enraged.

Arceus snapped, “Don’t say a word; you and your brother are in just as much trouble as your sister.” 

“But, Father, this could all be avoided if you would hear what she has to say,” Dialga argued, but Arceus would not have it.

Lifting his golden-polished hoof, he lashed out at Dialga, hitting him in his damaged shoulder and pushing him down onto the tile. Seeing this seemed to shut my brain off. In that instance, my want to save Dialga from his pain overrode every single check-point in my mind that should have told me what I did next was a bad idea. 

Summoning dark energy into a ball between my jaws, I shot a weak Shadow Ball at Arceus. Having no plates engaged, Arceus was normal and the Shadow Ball went right through Mim, crashing and disintegrating at the opposite wall behind Him. It didn’t touch Him. It didn’t scratch Him. However, the simple fact that I had even dared to challenge him was enough for the volcano He had become to erupt. 

Leaving Dialga to suffer on the floor, He turned to me, eyes wide with disbelief and outrage at my betrayal. As He approached, his hooves clicked ominously on the tiles, like a clock ticking down to something terrible. 

“You dare attack Me?” He said in a hauntingly calm voice. 

I lowered my head, but only to glare at him more intensely. I had nothing left to say. Having been through so much, my only bit of apprehension was in wondering what he was thinking about doing to me. 

His voice now boomed, “You dare attack me? How dare you!”

Engaging a pink-colored plate, He quickly shot a bright beam of light at me. The power from the attack left me breathless, and rocketed me against the wall behind the stage. I gasped for breath as I collapsed. Arceus walked nonchalantly onto the stage, those golden heels clicking, towards me. Engaging all of his plates, he began the process that defines my legendary tale. I still remember feeling my body run ice cold and numb as Arceus used his combined powers to completely change me. 

From my elegant, serpentine body, Arceus molded me into the monster every mortal has nightmares about. My spikes were turned into six clunky, gold-studded legs and my ghostly tentacles transformed into two devilish wings. My gold mask was permanently torn open to reveal my face. I didn’t scream, though. I wouldn’t give my enemies that satisfaction. However much Arceus molded my body like clay, the worst part about the entire ordeal was that He took a piece of me. From somewhere within my being, he pulled out a bit of my essence. Upon completion, he dropped me to the floor and I landed heavily on my new feet. I was so heavy I could barely stand, as if gravity were pulling me down with a thousand arms. 

With his psychic force, Arceus held up a golden orb, and began to explain what it was. “This is the Griseous Orb. It is the only thing that will turn you back into your Origin Form. Otherwise, when in the Real World, you will be in this form, your Altered Form.” 

Arceus then turned towards the Earth, visible like a giant blue marble through the open ceiling. He then tossed it down to the planet below, landing in a random place I could not trace.

He then turned back to me and said, “Under any other circumstances, your Origin Form can only be viewed in the Reverse World.”

And with that, Arceus summoned all His strength as he tore at the fabric of reality, opening up a portal into the new Reverse World. Through sheer godly will, Arceus had expanded my small domain, once scrunched into a tall tower, into another dimension where He inevitably imprisoned me. Using His powers again, He forced me through the portal and I found myself floating. All at once, my body changed back into my original self, my Origin Form. I went to fly out, making every effort to escape, but Arceus blocked my path. He towered over me as the portal became smaller and smaller.

“You are banished from the Real World for your violence. Forever more you will gaze upon this world in silence,” and the portal snapped shut. 

I remember wincing in the dark. I remember feeling alone, trapped, defeated. Just as it was before the universe came into being, the Reverse World was dark, empty, and noiseless. Not a single sound penetrated the black and I felt as though I would lose my mind if all I had to listen to were my own thoughts and strained breaths. Luckily for me, the Reverse World acted as Arceus' waste basket, and the nothingness eventually filled with objects I could distract myself with.

Some hundreds of years after the fact, the windows to the Real World appeared to forever tease me. From those windows, I watched how it changed and evolved over time, and it wasn't long before the barrier at these windows became so thin that I could hear mortals speak through them. Species came and went; humans appeared and built great monuments to the deities the Pokemon shared with them. Humans worshipped the other deities along with the Pokemon, passing on stories of their feats to their children. Life went on and there were other issues to sort out that left the trouble I had caused in deep time. Wars between humans and Pokemon broke out and pushed Arceus to create the Lake Guardians and two Pokemon that truly represented life and death. Ho-Oh's new home on Earth was burned to the ground, I heard in passing, and three Pokemon killed in the fire were reinstated as the three underlings she always wanted. I remember scoffing at that. Seems everyone got what they wanted in the end and everything worked out, despite my continued imprisonment.

I’ve heard such legends say that Palkia and Dialga were also punished. They too were given their own realms to reside separately. It’s been a couple million years and in that time I’ve gotten used to my predicament and place as just a nightmare worse than Darkrai. I’ve gotten used to overhearing mortals falsely tell their youngsters that if they misbehave that I might come from within the shadows and gobble them up. Or that I appear at an ancient graveyard in some undisclosed location. Silly mortals. 

But the one thing I can’t get used to is how I never got the chance to say goodbye to Dialga or apologize. Time exists here, though, and many days it’s the only comfort I have. Arceus was never known to be set in His ways. He changes his mind a lot, from what I’ve seen over the years, and some days, my windows to the real world are so thin I can smell flowers that don’t exist in my realm. This gives me hope.

Perhaps one day we’ll be together again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End! Hope you enjoyed it!


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